DiNozzo Extras
by Emconn
Summary: Just some Tony-Claire interactions from my 'Miss Me' and 'Forgive Me' universe. In no set order as it's updated at random points in their relationship. All scenes are from past, present, and future and circle around Tony and my OC. [I do not own NCIS. I only own some dialogue and my OC]
1. Chapter 1

[Comes from SWAK] 

"You're afraid, aren't you?" Claire gently asked, seeing through his facade. Tony scoffed but didn't make eye contact. She had always been able to read him easily.

"Claire come on, me afraid? Have you ever seen me afraid?" he asked her, shaking off the idea.

"Tony…" she tried to get him back on track, as he was avoiding the question but Tony quickly diverted to another topic.

"This coming from the girl who would sneak into my dorm room to stay the night with me because she was too scared to stay by herself, after watching a scary movie." He reminded with a smirk. I rolled my eyes at his avoidance of the question, but couldn't help but smile at the memories.

 _Flashback:_

 _A nervous Claire walks down the sidewalk of the college campus. She shivered a little as she was still wearing her tank top and shorts that she slept in. She constantly glanced around as if something or someone was chasing after her. The girl had just finished watching a horror movie alone in her dorm room and just couldn't get to sleep. On top of that her roommate was gone for the week and she felt scared to be alone; much to her dismay since that was kind of a childish thing to do. She knew the movie was fake but still…..it was scary. Claire made sure no one was watching as she sprinted over towards the Frat houses on the far end of the street and headed straight for the one she had frequented so often. Tony's building. With another glance around to make sure she wasn't followed, she walked around to the back of the house. On the far left was a window she knew led to his room. Now comes the hard part…how was she supposed to get up there? Looking around she noticed the large tree next to the house; one of the branches reached over close to the window. With a determined huff she started climbing it. She prayed that no one was watching as she was still in somewhat skimpy clothing and contorting her body to climb the tree this late at night would surely give anyone around a nice view. Finally, she reached the branch that would lead up to his window and carefully edged herself over to it, careful not to lose her grip and plummet to the ground. Once she reached the window she pulled up on it. It didn't budge. She whined in dismay when she learned that the window was locked. Claire reached back for her phone in her pocket only to be reminded that she didn't have pockets and had left it back on her nightstand. Reluctantly she knocked on the window. Hopefully Tony wasn't in that state where he could sleep through anything. He stayed up really late anyway, like any other college student. Nothing happened. She sighed again and knocked a little louder. This time she heard a groan from inside followed by some stumbling. Claire held in a giggle as she imagined a sleepy Tony stumbling over the junk left on his floor. After a few moments the curtains were pulled back to reveal Tony in all his drowsy glory. Hair tousled, face slack, and eyes clouded with sleep. When he saw her at the window he rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was dreaming. Looking out again his eyes widened in surprise. She sent him a sheepish wave as he opened the window. Claire immediately crawled inside, glad to be off the branch._

 _"Claire….what are you doing here?" Tony asked in slight alarm. Maybe something was wrong. Was she hurt? In trouble? Claire bit her lip and looked down in slight embarrassment._

 _"I couldn't sleep." She told him, avoiding the truth. Tony was confused._

 _"So you decided to take a long walk all the way to my house. Then climbed a tree next to my window, 2 stories high and wake me up from a great dream…all because you couldn't sleep?..." he trailed off, trying to understand the reasoning behind her actions. Claire tilted her head back and forth as if to say 'pretty much'. Tony rose a brow at her. He didn't buy it. She sighed, knowing she was gonna have to fess up._

 _"I got scared ok. I watched this horror film and my roommate is gone so the scary murderer chasing college students freaked me out. I couldn't stay there alone." She reluctantly told him. Tony stifled a chuckle. He shouldn't laugh at her fear, but quite frankly it was kinda funny. She glared and childishly whined at him._

 _"Tony….don't make fun of me." She told him with a pout. Tony's laugh died off as he looked into those wide blue eyes that made him melt. He had a massive crush on his best friend and that face would make him do anything._

 _"Can I sleep with you tonight?" she asked him seriously. Tony's imagination went wild and he sent her an alluring smirk._

 _"I told you that you would be asking me for that someday." He told her. Claire scowled to counteract the massive blush that was breaking out across her face. Thankfully it was still dark in the room so he didn't see it. She would have never lived that down._

 _"That's not what I meant and you know it." She scolded. Tony laughed again and gestured for her to follow him over to his bed. She complied. Tony crawled in first and shifted over as she got in after him. He pulled her into his arms, letting her snuggle into his side. Claire smiled as she felt him wrap a protective arm around her, giving her the comfort and security she needed._

 _"Don't worry Claire, I won't let the big bad monsters get you." He told her mockingly. She smacked his chest, which she was now registering was bare, making her cheeks flare up again._

 _"Shut up Tony and go to sleep." She scolded. She felt his chest vibrate under her head and started to drift off. The exhaustion from being scared and her adventure in getting to his room tired her out._

 _"Night Claire." He mumbled, setting his chin on her head. He heard her mumble out an incoherent response and smiled as he drifted off to sleep._

"That was one time." she played off his comment. Tony smiled and shook his head.

"5 times. You would think that after the first one you would know better." He countered. The two of them laughed. Claire sighed and was brought back the reality of the situation.


	2. Chapter 2

[Comes from SWAK] 

"13-13 tight you broke your leg in the 4th quarter." Brad marveled in memory. Nurse Emma was now tending to me as I was trying to keep up with the boys.

"You broke my leg in the 4th quarter." Tony accused jokingly. Tony looked over and smirked at me.

"And she's the one that decked you that night." He told Brad nodding his head in my direction.

"That was you?!" I asked in alarm once I got it. I knew he was familiar….well this was embarrassing.

"Yea, you have a mean right cross." Brad joked. Tony chuckled at my mortified expression. After Brad had broken Tony's leg in the game I went out and punched the dude in the face.

Flashback:

 _Some friends and I were up in the stands watching the Michigan vs. Ohio State basketball game. Tony was part of the starters and so I came to watch him play. He was actually quite good. We were down to the last quarter of the game and it was all tied up. Stephen passed the ball into Tony, who started taking the ball up the court. Looking for an open player he passed it off to one of the guards. Once the ball left his hand he darted up the center and popped out for the open three. As his teammate went to pass him the ball I saw one of the Michigan players charging towards him. This couldn't end well. Tony had to jump a little to get the ball, when he did the opposing player leapt at him. They landed at the same time but the guy landed on Tony's leg making him fall. The second I heard him cry out I knew something was really wrong. I started making my way down towards the court. The referee called a foul but Tony didn't get up. He was still writhing on the floor. The trainers and coached immediately went out to check on him. I glanced over at the smug bastard that had caused the incident and glared. He didn't even look ashamed. After a couple minutes of the people talking with Tony to figure out the problem, they went ahead and carried him off the court. As I got closer I could see the obvious pain on his face. Picking up my speed I kept heading towards the court, or more importantly the locker room where they had taken Tony. The game continued but I wasn't paying attention. I finally rushed over towards the locker room but was stopped by one of the security guards._

 _"Sorry you're not allowed in there." He told me and blocked my path._

 _"Of course I am." I told him matter of factly. There was no way I wasn't going in there. I tried to move again and he stepped in front of me._

 _"Ma'am.."_

 _"I'm his fiancé." I quickly spat out. I know usually only family was allowed in for these situations and so I figured this was good enough. The man eyed me suspiciously before stepping aside and letting me in. I made my way around the lockers and headed back towards the table where Tony was lying. I heard him groan in pain as I approached the table. He had some ice on his leg to ease the pain. I walked over to his side and started smoothing down his hair, trying to give some source of comfort._

 _"You ok?" I gently asked, glancing around for any other injured._

 _"Yea, I'm just peachy." He muttered out sarcastically. I rolled my eyes and grabbed his hand, which he gripped back instantly. I glanced up at the medic that was there with us._

 _"So what's the prognosis?" I asked. The man crossed his arms before letting out a sigh._

 _"Well from what we can tell, it's definitely broken. How badly will have to be determined once we get some x-rays. The ambulance will be here to pick him up in a few minutes." I sighed heavily and looked down at Tony who gave me a sheepish grin. I waited with him until the ambulance came and the game had ended. He was being rolled out on a gurney when the crowd had for the most part dispersed and the players were filing out of the building. Walking beside Tony I laughed at a joke he was making before I caught sight of the guy who put Tony here. I glared at the boy before excusing myself. This dude, I don't remember his name….it was like something Pitt…..anyway he was walking off with a couple of his buddies when I came over. His back was facing me as I marched towards him._

 _"Hey!" I shouted at him. He turned around and just as he did I swung my fist at his face. The guy dropped in shock and looked up at me, holding his nose in pain._

 _"That's for breaking his leg jackass." I told him and stormed off, leaving the boys speechless. As I walked back towards the ambulance Tony was laughing so hard, he had tears in his eyes._

 _"That's my girl." He applauded me through his laughing fit. I chuckled along with him. We both had kinda brushed off the fact that he called me 'his girl'. I don't even think he noticed. With another wave of laughter, he was set into the back of the van. I rolled my eyes and hopped in after him._

"Sorry about that." I apologized sheepishly _. This was so awkward._ The two of them just laughed it off before talking about some other stuff. I rolled my eyes in amusement as the boys reminisced about the game.


	3. Chapter 3

DiNozzo leans back lazily in his chair relishing the feel of no work…for the next few moments anyway. The familiar ding of the elevator brings him back into gear as he rushes to look like he was busy doing something. Claire smirks as she notices Tony jumping into action.

"Jumpy Tony?" he looks up at Claire who has a signature smirk on her face. Tony just scowls at the person he didn't need to impress.

"No! I just thought ….. I mean you know…"

"You thought I was Gibbs?" she interrupts already knowing the answer.

"Psshhh!...maybe" he reluctantly answers. He never was able to keep a secret from her. As he observes her walking over to her desk he decides to segway into another conversation that doesn't involve his lack of discipline.

"What is it with you and leather jackets? You literally wear them all the time." She laughs at his random change of topic.

"They're comfortable, and I don't wear them all the time" she told him, momentarily justifying her constant wear of the jackets.

"Well I beg to differ" As he makes his way over to her desk she watches him curiously.

"What are you doing?" she asks as she eyes him suspiciously.

"Just coming over to talk to my friend. I am allowed to do that right?" she continues to look at him trying to analyze what mischievous intentions he has.

"We were talking, but that still doesn't tell me why you walked over here." He continued walking towards her and the item he was intent on getting. As he made it to her desk he quickly swiped her phone that had been laying on top of her desk unattended. She lunged to try to take it back but he moved it out of her reach.

"Tony what are you doing?!" she frantically got up and chased after him. He just kept moving out of her reach while trying to read the text messages.

"So this mystery guy does have a name. Kyle." He said aloud reading the name at the top.

"Ok fine, you found out. Now give me back my phone and stay out of it." She told him sternly.

"Stay out of it? You make it sound as if I would meddle with your romantic affairs." He handed her back the phone and she quickly put it into her back pocket.

"Yes, because you do. Every single time I like a guy you keep coming in and running them off." She told him. Tony had always done that for as long as she knew him. She blamed him for the reason she was still single. At first she thought it was because he was jealous and liked her, but she quickly got rid of that idea. Tony would never be interested in someone like her, his constant string of girlfriends proved that point.

"Well that's because they were all jerks." Tony told her after a moment of thought. He didn't know why he did it, some of those guys were actually great people. Although he won't admit it out loud he just couldn't handle Claire being with anyone else. He knew he was being selfish but this was the only way he could keep her around. She would never date him, so this was the next best thing.


	4. Chapter 4

[Backup Date]

 **Claire's POV:**  
It was late on a Friday evening. We had spent the day doing what we do best, catching criminals. It wasn't anything to exciting but a long day none the less. Everyone was finishing up their paperwork before we all headed home for the weekend. Just as I finished up some emails I started to grab my stuff to go home. Yes, it was Friday but sadly I had no plans. I looked over at Tony noticing he wasn't chomping at the bit to leave like he usually does. He had spent the entire week going on and on...and on about some hot date he had tonight. It really got on my nerves that he was so head over heels about her. Her hair, her body, her sense of humor, I really just wanted to deck this girl because she was taking up all of my Tony's... _Hold up! No, he's not mine...where did that come from?..._ Anyways. I walked over to his desk to see what was up. When I stopped he didn't even look up.

"Hey, you ok? I thought you would be all excited about your big date tonight." He simply looked up emotionlessly.

"She cancelled." He looked back down at his work. I kinda felt bad. It was never fun to get cancelled on.

"I'm sorry to hear that. So what's your back up plan for tonight?"

"Well it looks like I'll be going to the restaurant alone. I can't cancel a reservation like that." _Hmmmm..._

"Get up." I told him. He looked up at me confused.

"Why..."

"We're going on a date." His eyes doubled in size and I couldn't help but laugh at his expression.

"Tony, not a real date. I'm your backup date. There's no sense in going alone. So both of us will get dressed up and go on that date so you can still have a somewhat enjoyable weekend. It's not like I had any plans anyway."

"Really?" he smiled up at me. He thought a moment and then turned off his desk lamp, signaling his leave.

"Alright I'll pick you up at our house at 8." He told me as we walked to the elevator. I smiled and as we walked down to our cars I got even more excited about tonight. It's not a real date though...I just have to keep remembering that.

 **3rd Person POV:**

Tony DiNozzo briskly walked up to Claire's apartment. He was actually really excited about tonight. Not that he would let her know just how excited he was. After all it wasn't a 'real' date.

As she heard a knock on the door Claire quickly ran around to her bathroom to double check herself.

"One minute!" she called out while fixing her hair. She quickly rushed over to the door and paused a moment trying not to seem too excited. She slowly opened the door and smiled at Tony. Tony on the other hand couldn't bring himself to move. His eyes widened and he consciously had to stop his jaw from dropping. She was stunning in her dress. He'd seen her in dresses before but for some reason she looked better than ever tonight. Her raven hair was draped perfectly around her shoulders accenting the strapless top of her knee length gown. It fit her perfectly and he loved it. And as always her, blue eyes just seemed to pop out and he couldn't help but get lost in them. After a moment she looked down at herself thinking something was wrong.

"Does it look ok?" she nervously asked him. He snapped back into reality and gave her a reassuring smile.

"You look fantastic! I was just a little shocked for a moment." he assured with a nervous chuckle. She rolled her eyes but smiled non the less. Claire grabbed her coat from behind the door and stepped out.

"Thanks" she told him. He held his arm out in a gentleman-like fashion for her to take.

"Are you ready to go my lady?" He asked in a posh accent. She giggled and took his arm.

"I am kind gentleman." With that they walked down to his car and toward the restaurant.

 **Tony's POV:**  
When we pulled up the restaurant I immediately jumped out of the car to open the passenger door for her. She gave me an amused smile, and I reflexively smiled back. I couldn't help it, her grin was contagious. Walking into the restaurant I was glad to see she was in awe of the place I chose.

"What did you think it was some cheap place?" I asked her in mock hurt.

"No! I've just never known you to go to places like this." She assured me. This made me even more pleased. We sat down and spent the next two hours laughing and enjoying ourselves. If I'm honest, I think I enjoy her company much more than I ever would have the other woman.

"I hope that I didn't do to horribly as your backup date tonight." She suddenly spoke up after a moment of silence. I looked at her oddly. _Why would she think this was a bad idea?_

"Of course! I mean I assume there wont be any sex after this like I had planned..." her jaw dropped in playful shock and subtly threw a piece of food at me.

"Of course you had that planned you pig!" she told me laughing. I just smiled. It's times like these that I really begin to regret all the time we were separated. Maybe we could have had a little different relationship... _Wait?! No she's just my friend. We work together, so that's all we will be._

"No, I have really enjoyed myself tonight. Thank you." I told her in all sincerity. She gave me a soft smile, which I returned.

"Anytime" she replied. _Maybe I'll take her up on that..._

 **3rd Person POV:**  
To everyone else in the restaurant, the two of them were a perfect couple. But in Tony and Claire's eyes they were only friends. That's all they both thought they could ever be. They both wanted to be more, whether they knew it or not at the moment. For now they were both content where they were, enjoying their time together.


	5. Chapter 5

_[Mother Hen]_

 **Claire's POV:**

After we had gotten back to D.C. Gibbs sent us all home and told us to take tomorrow off so we could catch up on our sleep. Protection detail was exhausting. As I walked over to my car Tony came running up to me.

"Hey you are staying at my place tonight." I looked at him wide eyed. Was this a perverted joke or a pickup line?...

"Why…" I cautiously asked. He rolled his eyes.

"Because you're still hurt so you need someone to take care of you." Oh this again.

"Tony I'll be fine on my own. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." I threw open my car door and winced. I had some stitches on my temple and on my ribs. I also bruised my torso pretty good from being thrown by the blast. Tony raised his eyebrow at me.

"Really?" he sarcastically asked. I sighed. Once he got something in his head it was hard to stop him.

"Fine" I reluctantly mumbled. He beamed and grabbed my keys from me.

"We will stop by your place so you can grab your clothes and then drive to my place. Leave your car here." He ordered. I followed him to his car and got in the passenger seat. We drove over in silence to my building. Once we parked he hopped out and opened my door for me. I gave him a weird glance. He was acting really odd and hovering over me like something bad was going to happen. We walked up to my apartment and once I unlocked it I went straight to my room. Grabbing a small duffle bag I stuffed a bunch of comfy clothes in it, knowing I didn't need to dress 'cute' for Tony. Once I had gotten all I needed I met Tony back in my living room. He was looking at some of the pictures on my wall thoughtfully.

"How is Devon?" Tony asked. Devon was my younger brother. I smiled fondly at the picture he was looking at. Devon had me thrown over his shoulder, since he was much bigger and taller than I was. I was holding his torso and grinning at the camera from my upside down position. It was my favorite picture of us. We were always close since he was only a year younger than I was and our parents were always a bit distant. Well mom left and dad got absorbed into his training gig. So we relied heavily on one another. Tony and Devon got along great, thankfully.

"He's doing good. He's still on deployment." Did I mention he was in the navy? That's part of the reason I joined NCIS. I wanted to be able to protect and defend him, and his fellow sailors.

"Good. You ready to go?" Tony asked. I nodded and we headed to the car. The whole way over Tony kept glancing over at me and scanning my face for any discomfort. _What is up with him?_ We walked into his apartment and I threw my stuff onto the couch. Tony immediately picked it up and tossed it onto his bed.

"You're sleeping in my room tonight. I'll take the couch." He told me.

"Tony, no I can't do that." I protested. He was having none of it.

"No, I insist. You're the cripple." I glared at him, and he cheekily smiled. _I was not a cripple_. I grabbed my bag and headed into the bathroom to take a shower, too tired to argue at the moment. After a little bit of struggling to get my clothes off I stepped into the shower and felt my body relax under the warm water. After washing all the grime off me I stepped out into the now steam filled room. Dressing into my pajamas I walked out of the bathroom and grabbed a brush to start combing through my wet hair. I headed into the kitchen and saw that Tony had heated up some dinner for us. He wasn't really one for actual cooking. He handed me a plate and I gratefully took it as we both headed over to the couch and sat down. I winced a little and resituated myself.

"Are you ok? Do you need any painkillers or icepacks?" he quickly asked, picking up on my discomfort. I looked over at him curiously. Why was he so motherly and protective right now? Seeing my inquisitive look he stood back up and popped in a DVD. I wasn't paying attention to it as I kept thinking about his odd actions.

"What's up with you?" I finally asked him. He glanced over at me.

"What are you talking about?" he asked dumbly. I wasn't playing this game.

"Tony why do you keep looking at me like I'm gonna collapse any minute. I really am fine, just a little sore" I insisted. He sighed and turned off the movie.

"Look when you got hit, I freaked out. When I first saw you and you weren't moving I thought of all the worst case scenarios. I just couldn't handle the thought of losing you." he explained to me sincerely, maintaining eye contact the whole time. My heart skipped a little hearing that. _Well of course he would think that, he's my best friend. I would be the same way._

"Tony. I. am. Fine. You couldn't have done anything to stop what happened. I will be ok. I promise nothing is going to happen to me. I couldn't do that to you, you'd be so hopelessly lost without me." I told him seriously. He smiled a little at my last comment.

"Oh please I can handle myself just fine." he scoffed jokingly. I laughed at the thought. Suddenly the painkillers started to kick in. I tried to hold back a yawn but it didn't work.

"Tired?" he asked, yawning himself. I smirked. He stood up rolling his eyes and took my plate since I was done with it. While he went to put the dishes in the sink I nestled myself onto his bed. Tony came into the room and grabbed some clothes before walking into the bathroom to change. He came back out a little later dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. I watched silently as he started to grab some extra blankets. I stopped him before he could leave.

"Tony just stay in here, we can just share the bed. I know that couch is really uncomfortable to sleep on." He looked at me hesitantly but shook his head.

"No I don't wanna risk hitting you or causing you any pain. I can sleep on the couch, it's not that bad….." he trailed off. He was terrible at lying to me.

"Tony the bed is big enough for both of us, plus some extra heat might just help my muscles relax so I can sleep." I tried to persuade him. I totally made the muscle thing up, I just didn't want him waking up with a sore back just because he wanted to take care of me. He rolled his eyes and agreed.

"Now don't worry I won't try any funny business, I promise." I joked smirking at him. He snorted, but I thought I detected a hint of a blush. Maybe it was just the lighting. _Yea, that has to be it, why would he blush at a comment like that?_ I slipped under the covers and he got in after me. I had a weird calming feeling with him next to me, but I shook it off. He reached over and turned off the lamp so the room was plunged into darkness. I closed my eyes and rolled onto my back, so my ribs would be comfortable.

"Goodnight Tony." I whispered.

"Night Claire." I faintly heard before falling into a deep and blissful sleep.

 **3** **rd** **Person POV:**

Tony laid there for a moment on his side, looking at her sleeping face. She meant a lot to him and he was glad that she wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. He knew the job was dangerous and unpredictable but knowing that she would be willing to stick around for him was comforting. Seeing that picture at her house, reminded him of the time he missed when they were apart. Maybe if he had tried harder to stay in touch things would have ended up differently between them. He shook his head and settled down to go to sleep. Those were crazy thoughts. Just to know that she was safe and for the most part unharmed was enough for him.

During the night he unconsciously reached over and put an arm over her waist, while she rolled slightly into him. That night they both slept without waking up, they were both instantly at ease just being in the same room as the other. Unfortunately when they woke up the next morning they had moved back to their original sleeping positions, unaware that their subconscious naturally drew toward the other. Perhaps one day they will realize the feelings that they both keep pushing aside.


	6. Chapter 6

[From Forced Entry]

Claire had just finished getting dressed for her undercover job at the Scarlett Secret. Tony looked up as she came through the bullpen. His eyes widened at her attire and how good she looked in it. That familiar funny feeling came up in his chest, but it was quickly shoved aside at the thought that other men were going to see her like that too.

"What are you doing?" He asked her from across the room. She looked over at him curiously.

"Um going to work for Scarlet Secret….remember? I do have to look the part Tony." She told him grabbing the rest of her things to take with her. Tony stood up and walked over to her desk before she left. Kate and McGee were just sitting there watching the encounter.

"Um no not dressed like that you aren't." he told her standing next to her. She looked back up at him. She didn't have any earthly idea why he would be freaking out like this. He's seen her in bathing suits and it never bothered him before.

"Tony what's wrong with you? I am going…..like this…it'll be ok." She told him walking by toward the elevators. He walked a couple steps watching her make her way out.

"Well then don't be out too late!" he called after her. She turned around to walk backwards.

"Ok Dad!" she called back with a smile. He watched her leave still miffed at this whole situation. She shouldn't be going into a place like that looking the way she did. He was afraid some guy was going to hit on her. He stopped at that thought and shook it away. Why was he acting so protective over her all of a sudden? He made his way up to MTAC to watch the operation from a hidden camera with Gibbs. Kate and McGee just paused and looked at each other in confusion from his sudden possessive behavior. He had never shot down any woman who wanted to show off. What was so different about Claire?...


	7. Chapter 7

[From Terminal Leave]

Claire was in the shower singing to a song on the waterproof radio. She was dancing along to it too. The song was a pop song with an Indian style vibe in the music.

"I'm sexy as I wanna be.

I got these fellas chasing me.

Let's go with this freak show.

Outrageous, when I move my body.

Outrageous, when I'm at a party…" She sang and danced along. Unknown to her, Tony was in the bathroom brushing his teeth and dancing along with her.

"Owtwragos." He mumbled along with the lyrics, toothbrush in his mouth. Claire heard him and quickly cut off the radio. She opened the curtain a little so she could peek out but still covered herself. This was a bit difficult and she blushed realizing that the curtain was clear enough so you could see her naked outline. Tony was practically seeing her naked.

When she looked she saw Tony in just his boxers brushing his teeth. She took a moment trying not to stare at his chest, and physique. It was harder than she thought.

"Tony?!" she shouted. Tony, who was brushing his tongue looked at her in the mirror. He paused his brushing.

"Get out of here! Now!" she continued.

"What I'm just brushing my teeth?" he asked her not seeing the problem. Claire gave him a look that said, 'oh really?' Tony thought of a memory and smiled.

"I don't see the problem, this is just like Junior year of college. That week you let me stay at your apartment while the Frat house was being renovated." He told her smirking. She vividly remembered that too.

"It was not funny then, and it's not funny now. Plus I had a thicker and not as see through shower curtain then!" Tony raised an eyebrow. He had to admit that he didn't mind the change in curtains.

"Oh hey, down't use up awll the howt wawer cause wouve been in where forwever." He mumbled with the toothbrush in his mouth and turned to look at her.

"Tony how long have you been in here?" she angrily asked him. He took the toothbrush out and smirked at her.

"Long enough to know you can't sing." He told her wiping the paste off the side of his mouth. He looked down at her through the curtain and smiled, bringing the toothbrush back to his mouth. He struggled not to get too excited and tried not to stare too long.

"And you've been working out a lot more." He added with a smirk, seeing her massive blush. She was close to being mortified. Claire glared at him and hit him in the face with a soaked sponge. The water splashed all over his face and knocked his head back at the force. He let out a chuckle and she quickly closed the shower curtain and continued showering. He glanced over at her again.

"Outrageous.." he mumbled with a content smile, that she didn't see. He sent a seductive smile her way and purred, before returning to his brushing.


	8. Chapter 8

[From Meat Puzzle] 

I saw Tony come from the corner of my eye, he was slowly eating a cup of ice cream. _It's a little early for ice cream isn't it?_ He stopped by my desk. I continued typing up reports on my computer, ignoring him. Tony sat down on the edge, facing me while he placed another spoonful in his mouth.

"Mmmmm. I love Philomena's ice cream." He commented, getting trying to get my attention. I looked up at him with a small smile.

"Philomena's in Georgetown?" I asked, looking up at him. He nodded.

"My standard first date place." He told me. _Huh that's interesting._ I chuckled.

"I went there on a first date Saturday night." I told him. _That was a great date._

"Yea?" he asked me wide-eyed.

"After dinner I like to stroll the lucky lady down Wisconsin to this pretentious art gallery called…Impressions. They really eat it up." He told me. I looked at him quizzically. _There's no way this is a coincidence…._

"That's where we went after dinner." I told him playing off my hunch. It was probably nothing.

"Really?" he sounded mock shocked.

"Huh?" My smile dropped hearing him say that. _He didn't!..._ I stared at him, and he just glanced over at me.

"You've been following me." I accused. _Is nothing sacred?!_

"Me? Follow you on a Saturday night?" he said trying not to laugh. Leaning forward seriously he added,

"I'm not that desperate Claire." I crossed her arms over my chest. _Since when?_

"I don't believe you." I shook my head.

"Well, I swear on my mother's life I was not following you." He told me. Gibbs walked in behind Tony.

"Your mother is dead." Gibbs and I deadpanned at the same time. _He wasn't fooling me._

"I didn't follow her boss." He told Gibbs leaning his head back to watch him walk over to his desk. Tony smirked.

"I do know her boyfriend, Steve Adler." He slyly commented popping another scoop into his mouth. I scowled at him.

"He's not my boyfriend!" I quickly protested. _Yet…_ Tony chuckled with a little boy's smile. I was tempted to smack it right off his face.

"I don't believe this." I said looking at Tony. He gave her an innocent stare.

"Did you tell her about your fraternity brother yet?" McGee excitedly asked behind him. I scowled. _He was in on this too?!_ _I work with sneaks._

"I was just getting to the good part." Tony told him. Kate glared at him on my behalf from her desk.

"Steve Adler is your fraternity brother?" she harshly asked him.

"I would show you the secret handshake….but then I'd have to kill you." He harshly whispered. I rolled my eyes.

"I already knew that Kate, it's no big deal." I told her looking at Tony. His eyes widened. I guess he didn't realize that.

"You knew Steve was my Frat brother?" he asked.

"Yes Tony, I knew _Stephen_ was a Frat brother. I knew a lot of your Frat brothers. We met at a party back in college. A few weeks ago we bumped into each other and we've kept in touch since then." I said not looking him in the eye. He was weird about me dating his friends.

"And you were going to tell me this when?!" he asked, looking flustered. I just sent him a sarcastic smirk and dismissed his question. I glanced around seeing if anyone was looking before asking Tony something that had been bothering me.

"He told you about our date?!" I whisper asked him, leaning forward. Tony scrunched up his face in thought.

"Well, not the intimate details…until I asked and….then he had to." Tony told me. McGee beamed over at his desk hearing this. I shot him a murderous look and he looked away quickly.

"It comes with the oath." Tony told me and quickly jumped off my desk before I could do anything. Like smack the living daylights out of him, as I so desperately wanted to. I closed my eyes in exasperation. _I'm going to kill Stephen…._

"Gibbs!" I shouted, very aware I sounded like a tattling child.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs called. Before he could get an answer Ducky came up to the bullpen.


	9. Chapter 9

[From Pop Life] 

Claire and Tony stepped out of the elevator on the floor where autopsy was. From the moment the doors opened you could hear the two bickering…..again.

"I didn't think that you would notice." Tony told Claire, trying to diffuse the situation since she was livid.

"Oh so stealing is ok if nobody notices." she sarcastically remarked at they walked through the automatic doors.

"It wasn't stealing it was sharing." He countered. Ducky looked up from the body he was working on and gave Palmer a tired look, hearing the bickering duo behind him.

"It was my lunch Tony! I didn't wanna share my lunch with you." She whined and turned to him, getting up in his face. Tony stopped to face her in the middle of the room and pointed a finger at her.

"Now see you just said it was sharing." He pointed out as he lifted his hands in the air with a triumphant smile.

"Excuse me!" Ducky interrupted. They paused their argument and looked over at Ducky who had turned around, no longer able to ignore the incessant bickering behind him.

"Show a little respect. This is a place of peace and dignity." Ducky pointedly told them as he turned back to the body on the table. Tony looked back at Claire as she let out a huff of frustration.

"Before Claire got here." Tony mumbled. She was not to be messed with at the moment so she violently elbowed him in the gut. Tony barely managed to block most of the blow with a grunt of slight fear. She could pack a punch when she wanted to, and at the moment she wanted to. Claire walked over and stood at the end of the table between Ducky and Palmer.

"We need a mediator Ducky or I'm going to have to go to employee relations." Claire informed as she sent a glare over to her coworker. Tony walked over to Ducky's other side.

"Which would be tattling." Tony commented. Ducky continued to work and somewhat ignored them while Palmer was glancing awkwardly between the two.

"No, going to employee relations is not tattling." She countered.

"It's the adult version of 'I'm telling mom'" Tony replied not looking at her. Ducky and Palmer continued to work as Claire marched over to Jimmy's other side to stand across from Tony.

"You are SO juvenile!" she accused.

"Am not."

"Are so"

"Am not." They bickered back and forth like children. Claire glared and turned to Ducky, taking a deep breath before talking.

"Ducky, we need an unofficial mediator." She explained.

"Did you talk to Gibbs?" he asked looking up from his work. Claire made a face coupled with a noise of uncertainty and looked over at Tony who matched her expression. They looked back to Ducky as if to say 'pretty sure that would be a bad idea'. Gibbs didn't like hearing the two of them go back and forth.

"Oh yes, I see your point." Ducky agreed after a moment of thought before going looking back at the body on the table.

"We thought of McGee." Claire started.

"But we have no respect for him." Tony finished for her.

"And then we thought of you." she continued. Ducky found it amusing that even when they bickered, that they finished each other's sentences.

"I see, third on the short list." Ducky commented and sent an amused smirk at Palmer.

"Well, at least I beat out Abby and Kate." He told his assistant. Tony and Claire looked at each other guiltily.

"We just came from there." Tony grudgingly told him.

"Abby turned us down…..and Kate just called us psychotic." Claire added. Ducky glanced at them.

"Oh.." he muttered.

"Come on Ducky she's driving me crazy!" Tony threw a small fit and pointed at her while facing away rather dramatically. Claire's mouth dropped with an offended look. She was driving _him_ crazy?!

"Well I am busy but uh…." Ducky looked at Palmer and nodded his head in the direction of the doors. Jimmy got the message.

"Um Abby needs these blood samples stat." Palmer told them as he reached across Claire to grab some test tubes. He rushed out of the room so they could talk.

"Yes, well I am busy but uh….I'm flattered that you would entrust your relationship to me." Ducky told them. Tony gave him an odd look.

"It will be rather like uh….marriage counseling." Ducky added with an amused grin. In perfect sync they both recoiled in disgust at the thought. Marriage?...Them?!

"Let's not use those words." Tony suggested with a grimace. That stung Claire a little but then again she was reacting the same way.

"Ducky it is only a platonic relationship." Claire corrected while doing the 'nothing else' sign with her hands covering up the tiny jab of hurt. Tony glanced at her with mixed emotions that he quickly buried too. Ducky kept the amused expression on his face watching their micro expressions give them away.

"So you'll do it?" Tony asked him, changing the topic.

"Oh of course I would relish the experience." Ducky assured.

"You know I studied psychology at the University of Edenborough under Professor O'Donnell." Ducky added and sounded like he was about to go into another lengthy story before Claire anxiously cut him off.

"Ok! Let's start." She suggested eagerly. She needed to prove to Tony that she was right.

"I left my desk for half a minute and when I came back Tony had eaten half of my tuna fish sandwich." Claire told Ducky. During her whole explanation Tony was making dramatic sounds of disagreement and had thrown his head back while pacing the side of the table.

"See! See! She's…whoop!" Tony animatedly started while gesturing that she was crazy.

"I'm hungry, we're buddies!" Tony started while gesturing to himself.

"It shouldn't be a big deal, it's not a big deal." Tony sent a glance at her before fully turning and leaning forward acting like he was talking to a dog.

"…But little miss _Tidy Twisty Pants_ blows everything out of proportion and it becomes a major deal!" Tony exploded while she had a shocked expression at what he was calling her. Of all the childish things! Ducky kept glancing between the two as the argument escalated again.

"All you left me was the crust!" she countered with distain. Tony pointed his hand at her and gave her a look of 'so what's the big deal?'

"Bah! Who is right here?" Tony diverted from the fact she pointed out and turned to Ducky gesturing between himself and Claire. Ducky looked between the two looking a bit bewildered at how intense they were over this.

"Yes, Ducky please…tell him." She encouraged while sending him a smile.

"Oh..we…we need to look a little…deeper.." Ducky hesitantly told them with a nod. Claire leaned her head forward with a look of disbelief.

"This is clearly a more than a blatant sibling rivalry being expressed by your adolescent and sexually charged bickering. This stems from an unconscious desire to please a father figure….among other things." Ducky told them, muttering the last part under his breath. Bringing romantic feelings into the mess would only make things work. So he decided to start small. Tony and Claire looked at him with 'you've got to be kidding me' looks. As Ducky explained they slowly followed him as he walked over to the sink. Once he finished his explanation they gave him a confused look, now standing side by side.

"And I think we all know who that is." Ducky added with a smile. Claire turned to Tony.

"What does this have to do with our sandwich?" she muttered, confused as to why this was relevant. Tony thought the look on her face was adorable. _Wait no….we're bickering…..I'm mad at her….we're both confused. She certainly doesn't look adorable._ Tony mentally shook away the thoughts.

"There's no father figure." Tony told Ducky with furrowed brows. Just then the doors opened and Gibbs walked in.

"Hey, why don't you answer your phone?" He asked somewhat irritated. Tony's eyes widened and he started to make his way to the door.

"We found a body, a female sailor, now come on let's go!" Gibbs told them as the two scurried past him to the elevator.

"I'll gas the truck" Tony said in passing.

"I've got the gear." Claire said.

"I prepacked the gear already." Tony countered. Claire glared at him as they walked to the elevator. Ducky followed them.

"Yes, there are clearly issues here. We need to meet twice a week, at least." Ducky instructed as the elevators closed. Gibbs turned to look at the two of them. They didn't make eye contact and continued the ride in awkward silence.


	10. Chapter 10

3rd Person POV:

Claire rolls over onto her back panting heavily. Sweat rolls down her forehead as she closes her eyes with a soft smile, gaining back her breath. Tony lies next to her breathing just as heavily. He groans and wipes the sweat off of his own brow. She glanced over at him and giggles at his winded expression.

"You alright over there Tony?" she asks him. Tony take a minute to compose himself before looking over at her.

"Oh yea, I'm fine." he assures with a nod. She laughed at his attempt to act calm and collected.

"You really need to work out more often Tony." Claire teased, knowing it would get him riled up. Tony glared.

"I work out plenty, thank you very much." He defended. Claire raised an eyebrow and looks back over at him.

"Oh yea? So you ready for another round?" She asked him challengingly. He chuckled at her tone.

"Oh yea, just give me a minute." He told her and sucked in another breath.

"Just give up already Tony. She's kicked your ass 3 times in a row now." Kate jeered. She and McGee were watching them from the benches near the wrestling mat. Since they didn't have an assignment the team went down to the NCIS gym to get a workout in. Tony, being his arrogant self, decided that a 'friendly spar' would be a good idea. He wasn't aware that Claire had recently been doing some kickboxing, adding it to her repertoire of hand to hand combat training. Tony had gotten himself into a heap of trouble and his pride was slowly being chipped away. Claire was never going to let him live this down. Tony growled at Kate's comment.

"I'm warming up Kate. I have to let her build up a little pride before I tear her down." Tony explained as he slowly stood up with a wince. He held his hand out and Claire gladly took it. They stood up and Claire grinned when Tony didn't look her in the eye. She held her fists up and bounced on her feet, ready for another round.

"You ready Tony?" she asked with a smirk. Tony sputtered trying to stall.

"Why don't we get some water first? I know you're tired." He suggested and walked over to his gym bag by the rest of his team. Claire smirked in triumph and walked behind him. She and Kate chatted about technique on one end of the bench. Tony sat down beside McGee who was trying hard not to snicker at Tony's defeat. However Tony noticed and glowered at him.

"Got something you wanna say Probie?" he snipped. McGee shook his head with an amused expression.

"No Tony…..I'm sure you tried your best." He added with a quivering voice, holding in his laugh.

"Why don't you take her on then huh? See how long you last." Tony told him.

"No thanks, I think I'm going to keep my dignity for now." Tim told him. Tony took another gulp of his water and wiped his face down with a towel. Claire looked down at her phone and quickly started packing up. Tony noticed.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked suspiciously. Claire pulled her bag over her shoulder and grinned at him.

"Devon is coming home today. He's living with me until his next deployment so I'm picking him up at the port. Gibbs gave me the day off." She explained. She took a few steps forward to leave but paused and turned back to her team.

"Oh by the way I'm having a welcome home gathering at my house afterwards and you all are invited if you want to stop by." Claire told them with a smile. She turned to leave again and forgot something else.

"Oh Tony, if you want you can join us at the port. I know Devon would like to see you." She added. Tony smiled at the thought.

"Yea I'll be there. Just text me when you're leaving and I'll ride over with you." Tony told her. Claire nodded and raced off with a broad smile. Tony laughed at her excitement.

"So how long has her brother been gone?" Kate asked Tony once Claire had left. Tony stood up to stretch and thought for a moment.

"Almost two years I think." Tony told her. He and Claire had talked about it when they first caught back up months ago.

"Seems like she's pretty excited." McGee commented from beside the two of them. Tony nodded with a fond smile, thinking back to how close Claire and her brother were in college.

"Yea, they're really close. Since their dad was always off training cadets around the country or other Marine stuff, and mom out of the picture, they only had each other. So they got real close. He was always visiting and calling while we were at college." Tony informed them. They nodded in understanding.

"Well I can't wait to meet him." Kate informed them and went back to the gym equipment.

Tony's POV:

After a few hours at the gym Claire had texted me the time she would be leaving so I headed back to my apartment to change and shower. I took an Advil to ease the slight pain I had from Claire's beating. I drove over to her building. I sent her another text when I got there and waited for her to come down. She made her way over to the car and hopped into the passenger seat. I put the car in drive and glanced over at her. She was practically bouncing in her seat. I shook my head with a smile. Even though she was usually the mature one, sometimes she acted like a 5 year old. After driving to an hour or so we finally made it to our destination. We parked the car and Claire grabbed my hand excitedly before dragging me off towards the mass of people waiting for the ship to dock.

"Claire hold up a second! I've got to lock the door." I told her with a chuckle. She groaned and waited for me to push the button on my keys, hearing the horn signaling that it was locked. Once I was satisfied she grabbed my hand again and bolted, nearly jerking my arm out of socket. We weaved our way through the crowd, Claire flashing her badge every now and then, barreling through the other families. I kept apologizing for her hasty actions. Soon enough we made it to a more spacious place near the front and waited as the sailors got off the ship. I looked down at her as she kept standing on her tiptoes, looking for the head of her giant of a brother. I was always shocked by her family's height. Her dad is tall and both of his kids got the genes. Claire was tall for a girl at 5'8", not that I minded at all, and her brother was about 6'4".

"Do you see him?" she asked me after a few minutes of searching. I snapped out of a daze, apparently I was staring at her. I started looking around for Devon. I wasn't even sure how I would identify him, I mean I haven't seen the guy for years. Suddenly she grabbed my arm and jerked on it harshly.

"Ow! What?" I asked from her sudden giddiness.

"I see him! Tony, he's right there!" she told me while bouncing on her toes, beaming up at me. I glanced around trying to spot him but she took off before I could.

"Devon!" I heard her screaming. I followed her as best I could before I stopped a little ways behind the two of them. I stood with my arms crossed as I watched their happy reunion. Devon found her and dropped his bag onto the ground before holding his arms out. She jumped into them and wrapped her legs around his waist, causing him to nearly topple over but he still let out a deep laugh at her enthusiasm. I couldn't help but smile at how happy she was right now. That's when she gave the best smiles. The ones that made my heart jolt in my chest. After a couple minutes Devon looked up and noticed me standing behind her.

"Tony! What are you doing here?" he asked letting her go and bringing me into a bro hug. I patted his back and looked over at Claire who was standing beside the two of us.

"Well Claire invited me over. Plus someone has to keep an eye on her." I joked and sent her a look. She shook her head and punched me in the shoulder. I let out a little whine of protest.

"As I recalled, I looked after myself just fine this morning." She told me with a playful sneer. Devon looked between the two of us in confusion.

"What happened this morning?" he asked warily. Claire was about to tell him about kicking my ass at the gym. Devon was NOT to know about that! So I intervened.

"Well, I'm sure you are tired and want to be getting home. After all you are the guest of honor tonight." I told Devon while giving Claire a 'shut up' look. She rolled her eyes and picked up Devon's bag as we walked back over to my car. The two siblings talked excitedly with each other as we walked. Once his bags were in the trunk of my car I got into the front seat, Devon in the passenger and Claire got stuck in the back. After about 15 minutes Claire dozed off. I guess she was still tired from this morning's workout. I kept glancing back at her, making sure she wasn't going to mess up her neck from sleeping in a weird position or anything. I guess Devon noticed or something cause he had a smug look on his face.

"So…..you two dating yet?" he casually asked. My eyes widened and I looked over to see if he was joking.

"What? No. She has a boyfriend." I reminded him. I kept staring at the road in ahead hoping he'll drop the subject. Unfortunately he kept going.

"Yea, I know. But she honestly talks about you more than she does Stephen. I figured that you would have started dating by now, since everyone expected it back in college." He told me in all seriousness. _Really?...everyone expected it?...Sure I had a crush on her back then but I'm pretty sure I grew out of it._ I furrowed my eyebrows thinking all of this over.

"And even though I know about your track record….You would be the one that I would approve of to be with my big sister." He added with a smile.

"Really?" I asked out loud this time. I knew Devon was cool with me being his sister's friend but this was something else. He was just as protective of her as I was.

"Yeah, you make her happy and that's kinda hard to do on a consistent basis nowadays." He answered. Before I could respond Claire started so shift around and I clammed up. She didn't need to hear any of this. Thankfully Devon picked up on that too and we continued in silence for a little while until we reached Claire's apartment. When we got there Claire immediately sprinted up so she could get things ready before other guest started arriving. Devon and I followed after her just as everyone started showing up and the party started.

About 3 hours into the gathering I was leaning against the wall beside Kate with a drink in my hand, just observing. Claire was walking around talking animatedly with everyone she passed. Stephen was with her right now. He showed up a couple hours ago and I felt weird about it. Again I had nothing against him but I still felt uneasy and somewhat mad whenever he showed up with her. But he treated her good as far as I knew so I couldn't complain. Kate glanced over at me and followed my line of sight.

"So alright there Tony." She asked watching me carefully. I gave her a glance and then looked back to Claire.

"I'm fine. Just enjoying the party Kate. So no need to do your profiling on me." I told her cutting off her thoughts before she got started.

"You know that you should probably tell her how you feel…..You know if you hypothetically had feelings for her. Which I'm sure you'll say you don't….. In this business, you never know what will happen." She told me. I turned my head towards her. Sometimes she was annoying, but she was like a sister to me. Sometimes sisters had good advice.

"I don't have 'feelings' for her Kate." I dismissed. _Did I?..._

"Then why do you hate Stephen so much?" She asked. Here we go with the mind tricks again.

"I don't hate him. He's a great guy and he really cares for her. I just feel weird about them being together." I told her honestly.

"But why?" she prodded.

"Because…..I mean he's…well…." I stuttered, trying to come up with a real reason. I didn't have one.

"Because he's not you?" she finished. I paused. Was that the real reason? Nah, it couldn't be.

"You should tell her." She told me seriously.

"I can't. Not unless I have an actual reason for her not dating him. Which I don't." I insisted.

"And if you ever mention this conversation to anyone I will personally make your life miserable." I added with a pointed look. These personal moments were never to be brought out into the open.

"I thought you do that already." She mumbled. I glared and she laughed at my expression.

"I won't Tony. But I still think you should tell her. I can tell that she's different to you. You might regret it someday if you don't." she concluded before walking away and joining other guests. I thought about what she said for a few moments. Did I feel something? Obviously other people think we have some sort of intimate connection but I don't know. Nah, she's dating somebody else. It wouldn't be right if I started hitting on her for real anytime soon. I'm not even sure I like her like that anyway. She's just my best friend and that's why I get a warm feeling around her, I'm sure of it. No need to tell her anything. If she's happy then I'm happy.


	11. Chapter 11

[From An Eye for an Eye] 

That night Claire and Tony were staking out Horlocker's apartment in the NCIS car. It was during the winter months so it was freezing outside and the car wasn't turned on. Claire used her hand to wipe off some of the condensation on the windshield that had come from the temperature difference. She looked at the apartment again through binoculars while Tony lounged back in his seat, seemingly asleep. Claire shivered and glanced back at Tony. Seeing his position, she glared and smacked him on the arm. If she had to stay up you can be certain she would have him awake too.

"Wake up." She told him. Tony just shifted.

"I am awake." He groggily replied. Claire looked at him a moment, thinking that his sleepy voice was very attractive. Fortunately, Tony hadn't opened his eyes yet to see her slight blush.

"Turn the heat up please I'm freezing." She asked and looked through the binoculars again.

"Can't, smoke from the tailpipe will give away our position." He replied with his eyes still closed. Claire rolled her eyes and shivered violently again.

"Great…I can't feel my legs here." She chattered. Tony slowly opened an eye as an idea popped into his head. He was going to utilize this alone time with her.

"We could do what the eskimos do to keep warm." Tony suggested in his low, groggy voice. Claire sat back in her chair and huffed out a shaky breath.

"What's that?" she asked curious as to why his demeanor had suddenly changed. Tony opened up both of his eyes and locked his gaze on her.

"They presssss their bodies together." He explained and held his hands up together as illustration. For some reason, she suddenly became slightly uncomfortable. Sure, she had been close to Tony before but the thought of what he was suggesting made her feel nervous, like some teenager with a crush. Claire gave him an odd look and he sat up to talk to her properly, noticing his effect on her.

"Of course the effect is greatly improved if….you're naked." He added and leaned in closer. Tony played it off in a cool manor but he secretly was turned on by that thought. It confused him a bit. Claire was just his friend right? So why was he somewhat serious about his proposition. Plus, the proximity was making his head swim a little.

Claire gave him a sickly-sweet smile, trying to play along, and didn't look away. Tony's breath caught.

"There's not enough liquor on the planet to make me do that, Tony." She told him smugly, fighting against her desire to see how this would play out.

"I wasn't suggesting the naked part." Tony pointed out and rested his hand on her shoulder, starting to stroke it gently. Claire glanced down at it and sucked in a breath. This teasing was starting to wear on her and suddenly the car didn't seem so cold anymore.

"But if you wanna freeze…freeze." He told her with a wink while he rubbed his thumb on her shoulder even more. She looked at him in conflicted. She had to keep in mind that it was just a game to him, and she couldn't let him know that she was affected. The intense teasing was starting to muddle both of their thoughts as they sat there, both enjoying the intimate contact. Their eyes connected and they got even more caught up in the moment. Suddenly Claire took in a deep breath and shuddered, making her look away from his intense gaze. Someone had to come back to their senses. She and Tony were just friends and they didn't need any odd emotions messing it up.

"Oh I need a vacation." She told him, changing the subject. Tony smiled broadly, to cover up the sudden disappointment, but he was glad to see that he had flustered her. Maybe it wasn't just him feeling things. He leaned back down in his seat again.

"Where would you go?" he asked curiously, going along with it. Claire started shivering again and she fidgeted in attempt to warm herself as she thought. Tony wanted to wrap an arm around her to help warm her but after the previous heat of the moment, he decided against it.

"Oh someplace warm, somewhere where there's no cellphone reception." She told him with a small smile.

"The tropics." He whispered wistfully.

"Oh yes, the tropics would be nice." She agreed with a grin. Claire looked back towards the apartment and saw his light turn off.

"Horlocker's light just went off." She informed Tony and pulled up her binoculars again.

"He's probably going to bed. It's midnight." Tony told her as he looked at his watch. Claire glanced back at him in agitation.

"God, do you think we're gonna have to stay here all night?" she whined as she shivered again. She really didn't want to be sitting out there in the cold all night. And her new fuzzy feelings around Tony weren't helping the situation either.

"Why don't you call Gibbs and find out." Tony challenged. Claire laughed.

"Why don't _YOU_ call Gibbs and find out." she mocked. They both laughed.

"Cause I know the answer." Tony quipped with an almost giggle. Claire laughed again, the awkward tension gone. Now they were just enjoying a laugh together like they normally would do.

"Oh I need a vacation!" she whined childishly and glared back at the house. Suddenly they heard a gunshot from the apartment. Their smiles dropped and Tony shot upright before they both raced out of the car. With guns drawn they sprinted toward the apartment.


	12. Chapter 12

Under the bright South American sun, Tony was tapping his fingers against the dashboard of the jeep he was driving as they waited in the thick traffic.

"Ok which way to the tactical analysis teams headquarters?" Tony asked his companion who was holding up the map.

"El Derecho? Or Isquierda?" he asked, indicating to the left and right. Claire set down the map and looked at him.

"Right." She ordered.

"Derecho." He muttered. Tony nodded his head and they continued in the slow traffic, which was made up of just people walking thought the streets. Tony looked over at one of the trucks that was selling things on the side of the street.

"Ah….I shoulda brought more cash. Look at that." He commented as they passed by the collection of DVD players. Tony tapped Claire on the shoulder and gestured to his left.

"Hey, look at these guys." He nodded towards the group of men sitting around at a table, staring at them.

"Buenos Dias." He greeted as they drove by.

"It's the local bridge club." He told her jokingly. Claire laughed and Tony causally draped his arm across the back of her seat. He had to admit that this was nice. Just the two of them with no one else around to bug them. Plus he told her that he was going to take her to the tropics someday so that's what he did…..kinda. They continued down the streets and took in the different sights of the back-ally they were driving through.

"Well it's not the tropics but at least it's warm." Tony told her.

"Actually, it is the tropics, Tony." She corrected, glancing around at all the sights around them. Tony rose an eyebrow from behind his sunglasses.

"Really?" he inquired curiously.

"The Tropic of Capricorn to be exact." She informed him with a smug smile. Tony nodded his head and paused before scrunching up his nose in distaste.

"Does the tropic smell kinda funny to you Claire?" he asked thoughtfully. Claire smirked. She knew exactly what he was smelling.

"It's not the tropics, Tony." She assured and gestured towards the scene beside them.

"It would be the plumbing." She informed, as the guy beside them dumped his sewage water into a trashcan. Tony made a groan of disgust as they passed.

"How come we never get sent to Paris or Hawaii?" he casually asked as they continued down the street. They glanced over at the men carrying machine guns next to the store with a bunch of flowers and stuffed animals. She smacked him on the arm playfully.

"Oh come on it'll be fun! And the best part….no Gibbs checking up on us." She reminded with a wide smirk. Tony chuckled at the comforting thought.


	13. Chapter 13

[From SWAK] 

Nurse Emma was tending to Tony while I sat on his bed next to him. I held his hand and drew comforting circles on the back of it with my thumb. Tony was breathing raggedly and Emma had to dab the blood off his blue lips since he was too weak to do anything. Tony grunted in pain and glanced up at me.

"I'm sorry I teased….you will….all those….movies Claire." Tony started apologizing, finding it painful to speak. I had to reverse this, he was giving up and I wasn't about to let that happen.

"Teased me? You tortured me for years all I've heard is John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, James Bond…." I told him, trying to keep up a hopeful attitude.

"James Bond…..is a character….." Tony coughed as he tried to speak. I smiled sadly. I knew that but I just wanted to keep his fighting spirit up. He could never turn down a change to correct a bad movie reference.

"…..Played by Shaun Connery….and George Lusby….Roger Morris….and Pierce Brosden…." Tony trailed off and started to clear his throat, but to no avail. He looked up at me with pain in his eyes, he knew he was dying. I maintained eye contact with him as Nurse Emma unbuttoned his shirt a little so she could listen to his lungs. If this was it I was going to take in everything I could about him. His hazel eyes held me anchored in the moment, I smiled inwardly at how I used to tease him about how they seemingly changed color on a daily basis. But that's what I loved about them. Just like Tony who had many sides, his eyes had many shades but in the end they were still the same entity.

"Why are you wearing a mask?" Tony suddenly asked, breaking off my thought process.

"Because I have a cold." I told him softly. I knew that he had figured it out but I still wanted to keep up the charade. Fake it till you make it, right? Tony glanced up weakly at me knowingly. My heart kept breaking every time I looked over at him and knew that he was still getting worse. I knew I could still get the infection, but I don't care. If this is it for Tony, I'm going to be here for every second. He gave me scrutinizing look.

"Why aren't you sick?" he asked with strangled breaths. I kept my tears at bay and sent a teasing smirk. Tony coughed again.

"I'm stronger than you Tony." I haughtily told him. Tony started to laugh but it ended in some coughing. I winced at the sound.

"Are not" he immediately countered. I smiled at his stubbornness.

"Am too." I told him. Tony wanted to answer but his breathing was too labored. He started choking and tried to sit up for air. I immediately grabbed onto his shoulder in panic.

"Tony, Tony sit up." Emma quickly ordered and the two of us helped him sit upright, hoping to clear his airway. He started to get some air but was still chocking. Dr. Pitt rushed into the room.

"Claire you should leave." He told me urgently, not looking my direction as he rushed towards Tony. I whipped my head to look at him in shock.

"What no." I protested. There was no way I was going to leave him. Not now.

"Now." Dr. Pitt ordered. Ducky walked in and started pulling me back as I struggled against him.

"Wait no please." I pleaded but went, not wanting to make a scene. Tony finally caught some breath and was eased back down. They closed the airtight lock to the room and took of my mask.

"Oh god." I muttered and sobbed, hand over my mouth to try and muffle them. _Anything but this. I would do anything to take his place._ The pain was too much for me to bear. The thought that he was being taken from me was worse than death, and to be taken so violently. He didn't deserve this. I couldn't live without him. Finally, all these emotions started to make sense. The jealousy, the hurt….I loved him. I loved him and I would never get the chance to say so. He was dying right in front of me and I was helpless against it. Ducky gently led me out and I crumpled into his chest, my heart couldn't take any more pain as I sobbed against him.

"You were brave to stay with him Claire." He told me as he patted my back. _To hell with bravery._

"He's dying Ducky." I sobbed brokenly. He was dying and I couldn't do anything to stop it.

In isolation, I was standing outside with Brad watching at Tony's vitals evened out a little. Now that he wasn't dying I had a lot to think about. Seeing people you love on the brink of death really sorts out your priorities.

"Can I sleep here?" I asked hopefully.

"As long as you don't give Tony that cold." He warned jokingly. I smiled and looked back at Tony wringing my hands in thought. He pushed the button to open the doors for me and shot me a smile as he walked off.

"He's asleep." Nurse Emma told me as she passed, leaving us alone in the room. I nodded at her and walked into the quiet room. I stood beside his bed and smiled down at his sleeping form. He looked peaceful now despite how weak and sick he was. After a moment, I crawled into the bed next to him and laid there as all the lights went off in the room.

"This reminds me of the end of _Alien_." I heard Tony mutter tiredly from beside me. I smiled and let out a soft laugh. He was going to be just fine. I was the one that had to sort things out. But for right now I just wanted to bask in the realization that he wasn't going anywhere soon.

3rd Person POV:

Claire sat beside Stephen at a bar in town. All the craziness had died down over the past couple days giving her plenty of time to think on her new feelings. She had brought Stephen over to explain things. He sighed and looked over at her.

"This isn't just about me, is it?" he asked her with a soft smile. Claire gave him a rueful glance.

"Not really…." She mumbled out. He chuckled but you could still tell that he was a bit hurt.

"It's Tony, isn't it?" her eyes widened and she almost spit out her drink.

"How did you….." she asked looking at him again. He gave her a knowing look, causing her to chuckle at his expression.

"I've kinda always known. It just…..different with him than it is with me." Stephen gently explained. He could tell by the way her eyes lit up whenever she talked about him. It was apparent during college and that connection between the two was still there.

"I'm really sorry. I really like you, you're a really great guy but it just….." Claire tried to explain but Stephen held up a hand to pause her babbling.

"It's ok. I mean I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little hurt but I will live. It really is ok, don't beat yourself up about it." He assured her. She smiled and gave him a hug.

"So are we still friends? No hard feelings?" Claire asked once she had pulled away. Stephen smiled at her.

"Yea, no hard feelings. I wish you luck." He told her. She smiled and hopped down from the barstool.

"Well I have to take off. I'm having friends over later tonight." Claire told him and waved to him as she made her way out.

A few hours later Claire was pacing around her living room when she heard knocking at her door. She rushed over and flung it open. Outside stood Kate and Abby with wide eyes from her abrupt actions. Without a word Claire grabbed their arms and pulled them inside. She was trying not to freak out, but now that she was single again she didn't know what to do.

"Are you ok?" Kate asked, setting her coat and purse on one of the chairs in the living room.

"Yes…..no….OH I don't know!" Claire ranted while still pacing.

"Oh sounds juicy, do tell." Abby commented as she took a seat beside Kate on the couch. They were watching Claire pace around the room, wondering what had her all worked up.

"I broke up with Stephen" Claire finally blurted out. Kate and Abby glanced at each other. That couldn't be all.

"And that's why you're making a path in your carpet?" Abby asked while watching her pacing friend. Claire paused and glanced down at her carpet to make sure she was joking.

"No there's more…" she mumbled worriedly. Suddenly she lost all of her confidence and started to chicken out on telling them.

"I think we need alcohol….do you two want any alcohol….alcohol sounds nice right now." Claire started rambling attempting to escape to her kitchen. Her two friends however, were faster and grabbed her arms.

"No no no, you are going to tell us why you are freaking out." Kate insisted. Claire groaned and took in a breath.

"I'm in love with Tony." She finally huffed out. Abby and Kate's eyes widened but then they shared a look as if to say 'I knew it'. Claire gave them a confused look. The other two knew that this was freaking her out a little bit so in a silent conversation they determined what the next step to this girl's night venting session…..

"Let's get the alcohol." They chorused together. Claire laughed and quickly led them into the kitchen. It's was a good thing they didn't have work tomorrow. This was going to be a long night.


	14. Chapter 14

[From Twilight] 

Tony's POV:

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Gibbs asked. I was leaning against the back of the elevator, staring up at the ceiling…hoping that this ride would be over soon and stop my head from spinning.

"I've never felt better." I whispered out, not taking my eyes off the ceiling. It came out a little weaker than I had intended, but I'm not quite up to speed yet.

"Yea?"

"Yea." I reaffirmed weakly. Gibbs smirked as he turned back around.

"You look like crap." He told me. I looked at the back of his head with a wry smile.

"I missed you too boss." I told the man genuinely, understanding Gibbs' odd way of displaying affection. The fact that he was letting me even come to NCIS was saying a lot.

"You've got another week of sick leave coming Tony, you should take it." Gibbs told me seriously. I returned to staring back up at the ceiling. _Like that's gonna happen._

"I was going crazy at home. Maybe I'm not 100% but….you need me." I told him, trying to convince myself as well as Gibbs. He just gave me an amused look, seeing right through me. _Alright new tactic._

"Ok….what about Kate and McGee? They're practically lost without me." I tried hoping I'll get something.

"They've gotten more work done in the last two weeks than they have all year." Gibbs told me and walked out of the elevator. I was frozen in my spot, before coming to my senses and rushing after him.

"But what about Claire? At least she missed me, right?" I asked, scurrying after Gibbs. I hadn't heard from her since she left ICU once I was on the mend from the plague. She stayed with me the first night and then just….left. I mean I tried calling her but she never picked up, and she never came to visit me. It hurt a lot but I kept rationalizing that she had to have a good reason…..right? I hope everything was ok.

"Yea….something like that." Gibbs told me cryptically. _What was that supposed to mean?_

"I can't wait to see their faces!" I exclaimed and ducked down so they couldn't see me behind Gibbs. The looks on their faces are going to be priceless! I crouched down until I was in front of Kate's desk and hopped up like a little kid.

"Hi Kate!" I shouted with a broad grin before coughing a little from the outburst. Kate didn't even spare me a look as she swiveled in her chair and continued her phone call. I frowned. _That's weird._

"It must be important." I muttered to myself. _That had to be it._ I looked up to see McGee making his way into the bullpen. _He's not busy._ As he approached I opened my arms wide for a hug.

"Probie, did you miss me? Long time no…." I started but trailed off as McGee walked right on past me without a word or even a glance. I let my arms drop to my side.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked pitifully. Kate didn't answer as she hung up the phone and walked past me to the front of Gibbs desk. I frowned and followed behind her like a lost puppy. Did nobody care that I was back? I glanced around for the person I knew would talk to me…but Claire wasn't anywhere to be found. _What was going on here?_

"Virginia state police just got a 911 call Gibbs. Two dead sailors." Kate told Gibbs.

"Where?" he asked.

"Right off route 17 in Fredericksburg." She told him, handing over the file. I shuffled on my feet anxious to get back on a case. Finally, I'll have something to do.

"Let's roll, gas the truck." Gibbs called, pulling the keys out of his desk. Ah this is where I come in.

"Sure…." I started with a smile and reached up for the keys Gibbs had tossed. However, my smile dropped as the keys went over me and landed in McGee's hands.

"Sure thing boss." McGee answered as the three of them rummaged around gathering their stuff. I stood in the middle of the room, thoroughly confused. _What was going on here? Am I invisible now?_

"Maybe I did die." I muttered. That had to be it, I died and this is just some alternate reality or something. Gibbs looked at me.

"Feel that?"

"Feel what?" I asked in confusion. Suddenly a force barreled into me from behind and knocked, what little breath I had out of me. Gibbs smirked as I let out a pained whine and looked down at the familiar hands that were wrapped around my waist. It felt good to be in her arms again. _Wait…..what?_

"You're still alive." Gibbs assured, taking in my breathless form. Well at least Claire still likes me. I smiled and turned to face her, expecting a waterfall of emotional blubbering about how much she missed me. Claire smiled at me for a second before suddenly glaring and punching me in the shoulder….hard. I yelped in pain and stared at her incredulously. _Ok….. Maybe she didn't like me after all._ Without a word, she walked off towards the elevators, with me staring after her in shock.

"Welcome back DiNozzo." Gibbs called as he followed after her. I just stood there dumbly in the middle of the room, cradling my bruising arm. _What the hell was going on here?_


	15. Chapter 15

[From Twilight] 

Claire's POV:

"He needed his prints?" Kate asked. Gibbs didn't answer but handed her the rag.

"Bag it." He told her and looked back at the crime scene. Better her than me I guess.

"Boss, state cops ran the mustang's plates. It's a rental car." Tony called from the top of the hill and started making his way down.

"…out of Dulles airport. I got a call and this….uhh!..." Tony's sentence was cut off as his foot caught and he tumbled down the rest of the hill. I winced. He really should've taken another week off, but in hindsight I'm glad he was here. With pained yells Tony rolled until he landed on his stomach at my feet. Tony froze and gasped out in pain as the breath was knocked out of him, on top of him not being fully recovered from the plague episode.

"You ok?" Gibbs calmly asked as he glanced over at Tony.

"I'm just trying to catch my breath." Tony slurred out in obvious discomfort.

"Should've taken that extra week off DiNozzo." Gibbs told him and walked up the hill. Kate and I continued to look down at him with small grins as Tony struggled to regain his composure.

"Help him up, I'll see what's keeping Ducky." Gibbs called as he rounded the corner.

"Did that hurt?" Kate playfully mocked as she poised the camera.

"Yup" Tony whispered as he painfully looked up at her. When he did Kate snapped a picture of his expression.

"Good." She told him cheekily and walked back over to the car while Tony raised his hand, pitifully trying to get her help. I giggled a little and he looked up at me with a truly pitiful gaze. With a reluctant sigh I reached down to pull him up.

"You really should've taken that extra week Tony." I scolded. Tony just grunted as he straightened himself and glanced at me thoughtfully.

"Well at least I got you to talk to me." He told me with a serious look. My smile faltered just a little by how sincere he was. I knew it was petty for me not to talk to him during his recovery, but I just couldn't. Against my will I smiled again at him, getting lost in the eyes I had missed. After a few more moments of staring I snapped out of it and made my way up the hill. Keep it together Claire.


	16. Chapter 16

[From Twilight]

As Tony turned his head his eyes widened in alarm.

"Freeze Claire don't move!" he shouted urgently, and jumped up. Claire froze with the key still in the lock and looked over at him worriedly.

"The cars wired to explode." Tony told them as he slowly walked over to stand beside her. They both swallowed thickly.

"It looks like the detonator's tied to the trunk." He explained shakily. One more second and she would have been dead.

"How far did you turn the key?" Kate asked.

"Um I'm not sure almost all the way I think." she told her nervously.

"Ok let's let it just snap back." Tony suggested and slowly put his own hands over hers.

"Ok" Claire agreed looking up at him nervously. Tony gave her a reassuring nod. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her.

"Now let go." Tony told her gently. Claire did as he asked and walked over to where Kate was. Tony held his breath as he carefully held the key in place.

"Now all of you run" he told them with a glance.

"Tony were not leaving you standing here." Claire immediately argued.

"I'm a lot faster than you are, I'll be right behind you. This is not a debate!" he told them seriously, leaving no room for argument. He was talking to all of them but kept his gaze on Claire. Kate and McGee nodded reluctantly and dashed back up the hill. Claire didn't move.

"Claire get out of here." He told her with an unknown expression in his eyes. She had to get out of here.

"Tony, you and I both know that in your condition you won't make it far." She told him seriously. Tony sighed and looked back down at the key. He couldn't argue with that.

"Anthony….you should have taken that extra week." He muttered to himself.

Gibbs was on his cell when Kate and McGee raced up the hill.

"It's the car!" McGee shouted.

"It's wired to…" Kate was cut off as the car exploded and knocked all the investigators off their feet. After a moment, they all looked up from where they were lying and glanced around.

"Tony! Claire!" Kate shouted in alarm as she noticed their absence. She should have known. After a moment of agonizing silence the two in question made their way up. Claire was helping Tony crawl up the hill, both of them breathless. Tony, still recovering from his condition and Claire because she was doing most of the work.

"Boss, you remember when I told you I never felt better?" Tony asked as he crossed the caution tape.

"I lied." He muttered and collapsed in exhaustion. Claire leaned against a tree and rubbed soothing circles on his back. This was not their day.


	17. Chapter 17

[From Twilight]  _(Apparently I have quite a few in this episode planned out)_

"You're not looking so hot." McGee pointed out.

"Well, at least it's an improvement." Tony muttered dryly.

"From what?"

"According to Gibbs, I look like crap." He informed McGee and closed his eyes tiredly.

"You know Claire's really been worried about you." McGee told him.

"Claire worries about everything." Tony pointed out.

"No I mean….really worried." McGee insisted. Tony opened his eyes and looked up at him with a bored expression. However, on the inside his interest was piqued.

"What's your point Probie?" Tony asked.

"Well I think that maybe…..you know." McGee suggested with a thoughtful glance at Tony. Tony chuckled.

"Me and Claire?" he laughed lightly.

"Will never happen." He insisted with a serious tone and closed his eyes again. Sure, it had crossed his mind once or twice over the years but it was never going to happen. Tony had accepted that a long time ago.

"Why not?" McGee asked curiously.

"She's too smart for that." Tony told him, fully believing what he was saying. Claire would never go for someone like him. McGee glanced around before standing up.

"You know what, you don't believe me? She's coming right now. Shhh." McGee told him, determined to make his point. Claire walked over to them, unaware of Tony behind the desk.

"Gibbs wants to know who made that 911 call this morning Tim." She told him and sat down at her desk. McGee nodded.

"On it." He told her. Claire looked up and glanced around noticing Tony's absence.

"Where's DiNozzo?" she asked.

"Um I think he's laying down somewhere." Tim told her, technically not lying.

"Oh good, he needs it." she mused, and went back to typing on her computer.

"You care a lot about him don't you Claire?" McGee asked. She looked up at him curiously, hiding her slight alarm. There's no way he could have found out about her feelings, Kate and Abby would never do that. However, her fears went away as she noticed him subtly pointing behind the desk. She got the message. Might as well have some fun with it.

"Uh well he's my teammate." She pointed out, playing along.

"Well I don't know, sometimes I think it might be more than that." McGee suggested. Claire huffed with a smile.

"Tony are you kidding?" she asked. Tony frowned a little. She didn't have to put it that way.

"Oh come on, you've never thought about it?" McGee persisted. Claire grinned. Well yes….but they didn't have to know that.

"Um…well I guess there are times when Tony can be, charming…." She started making her way over towards the desk. Tony's raised his brows in pleasant surprise as he listened to Claire.

"….warm, not completely obnoxious." She told McGee as she stopped in front of Tony's desk. McGee smiled a little as she began unscrewing the cap to her water bottle.

"Right, so what if he wasn't your teammate?" McGee continued.

"That's a tough one…..honestly?...I'd jump him in a second." She told him bluntly. Tony's eyes practically popped out of his head. Meanwhile McGee was desperately trying not to laugh, thinking she was 100% joking.

"Well I mean he's smart, brave…" Tony rolled onto his side to listen in better.

"…not to mention kinda hot." she continued. Tony smirked, he still had it.

"You know in a different world I could see myself marrying someone like him." She told McGee, who simply hummed. At this moment Claire leaned over and dumped her water bottle onto Tony's head. Tony jerked and yelped in surprise. Claire and McGee chuckled as they watched him get up to glare at her over his desk.

"Very funny." He glared. He swallowed back a hurt look as he realized she was just fabricating all of that stuff. She would never go after him, but it hurt that she got his hopes up for a moment whether she meant to or not. Claire shot him a smug smile.

"Hey, I thought I told you to lie down." Gibbs scolded Tony as he walked up to the bullpen. Hearing his voice, the other two quickly scattered.

"I was.." Tony told him. Gibbs wasn't convinced. Seeing his expression Tony stuttered and pointed at Claire accusingly but didn't say anything.

"I am." He relented and laid back down on the floor.

"Not here." Gibbs corrected as he walked away. Tony groaned and looked back over at Claire. She smiled sweetly at him, while he glared and grabbed his stuff. As he passed she waved at him, wiggling her fingers childishly. Tony returned the gesture in a sarcastic manner before growling at her as he followed Gibbs.


	18. Chapter 18

[From Twilight] 

Tony's POV:

"You can use Bert as a pillow." Abby told me as she handed over her stuffed hippo. I began to slowly make my way down and I smiled as I gingerly laid my head on the stuffed animal. **_*FART*_** My face scrunched up in confusion as I glanced at the animal. _I know that didn't come from me._

"He's supposed to make that noise." Abby told me, holding in a giggle.

"You have a stuffed animal that farts?" I asked her dryly. _I wouldn't put it past her but still._

"Yea it's cool huh?" she continued excitedly. I gave her a curious look. Cool isn't exactly the word I would use for it.

"Yea….in a disturbing way." I hesitantly agreed.

"So what did I miss?" I asked as he leaned back on the pillow again….. ** _*FART*_** _Gee that wasn't going to be annoying._ Abby knelt down next to me.

"Gibbs has been cranky since you've been gone, I think his knee is bothering him again. And Claire broke up with her boyfriend, which I'm still trying to decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing." She explained rather quickly. _Wait…..Claire broke up with Stephen?_ I looked up at her in mild surprise. _She didn't mention anything about that. Is that why she's been all weird?_ I couldn't help but suppress the pleased smile that threatened to break across my face. I shouldn't be smiling; why do I feel happy about them ending the relationship? My hormones must be out of wack from the plague or something.

"Really? I guess it's a good thing then." I muttered under my breath, but apparently, Abby heard.

"Now why do you think that?" she asked, giving me a knowing smile. _What is that about?_ However, I didn't want to elaborate on the subject.

"What? Nothing so, how about the case, Abby?" he asked her with a pointed look. She sighed but didn't press it.


	19. Chapter 19

[From Twilight]

3rd Person POV:

That night everything was dark and quiet as the building was closed for the night. Gibbs sat at his desk, scouring through all the crime scene photos. After a few minutes, he got up to stretch his legs. He smiled thoughtfully at McGee who was wrapped up in a blanket and asleep in his chair. He walked over and looked down at the two behind Tony's desk. Tony and Claire were watching a movie on his computer when they both dozed off. Claire's head was leaning on his shoulder. Tony's head was lying comfortably on top of hers. The two were a bit comical with their feet propped up on his desk, the computer monitor between them. He held back a chuckled at their predicament and the content smiles on their faces. At least Tony had one when he wasn't letting out a snore. Gibbs wasn't stupid or blind. He knew that they liked each other more than simple friends. The two idiots would take forever and year to ever admit it. Especially Tony, he was dense. Finally, Gibbs walked over towards Kate who was curled up on the floor behind her desk, fast asleep. He knelt beside her and gently pulled her coat over her shoulders as a blanket. They all wanted to stay with Gibbs to make sure he remained safe. They were all a family and even though Gibbs was indifferent when they were around, he truly did care for them. And they all cared or him just as much. Once he had checked up on all his agents he strolled over to look out through the giant window by their office space, just pondering about everything that had happened.

Claire's POV:

The next morning, I was stirred from my peaceful sleep by someone moving underneath me. _Wait I stayed the night at the office. So why was there someone under me. Tony and I were watching a movie and then…..Tony….oh crap. My eye immediately snapped open and I glanced over at what had been moving. It was Tony. I fell asleep on his shoulder. Calm down…not a big deal right? I mean we used to do this all the time, so it's nothing to freak out about. Yet my heart is still going a hundred miles an hour. Oh god I hope he can't feel it or hear it beating out of my chest, that would be so embarrassing. Well so much for not being a bid deal. Of course it's a big deal! I just fell asleep with the guy I like. Keep it together, Claire!_

I took a moment to calm the internal battle that I had going on in my head. Tony wasn't going to think anything of it so I should act like it wasn't a big deal. That would tip him off and I wasn't ready for the emotional confrontation just yet…..or ever for that matter. Thankfully he was still asleep, at least that's what I assumed from the light snore in my ear. I started to shift a little so I could make my way out from under his head. Not that I totally noticed how we fit together almost perfectly, which made me smile a little inside. Tony slept like a rock anyway so the chances of me waking him up by my movement was small. Finally, I was able to wiggle myself out from under him. However, with the removal of my head for his pillow his head jerked forward and woke him up abruptly. I muffled a giggle as I watched him spaz out and flail around for a moment as he woke up. The noise directed his attention over towards me and my heart fluttered a bit at the lazy smile he shot me.

"Mornin' "he mumbled out while stretching his back.

"Morning sleeping beauty." I joked, gesturing to his bed head. Tony glared at me sleepily.

"You're one to talk." He pointed out. My smile dropped and I quickly ran a hand through my messy hair.

"I guess we fell asleep during the movie." Tony told me as he clicked on the computer screen indicating that the movie was over. It was over a long time ago. I don't think we made it very far into it anyway.

"It was my favorite part too." He whined childishly. I let out another giggle.

"Don't worry Tony, it's not like we haven't seen it a hundred times already." I pointed out. Tony threw me an offended look.

"It was a classic and one can never watch the classics too many times." He told me pointedly. I just nodded along in amusement. We both laughed a little and glanced around the room. Gibb's stuff was still here but knowing him, he's been up for hours and showering or something right about now. McGee was also gone, hopefully to get some coffee. Lord knows I'm gonna need that to get through the day.


	20. Chapter 20

[Aftermath]

3rd Person POV:

The three of them stared blankly, hoping, praying that it was all just a bad dream. After a moment Claire snapped out of it. It wasn't a dream; this nightmare was her reality. Kate was dead. Claire suddenly felt the pressure of Tony's arm around her. All she wanted to do was break down and curl into his embrace, but she couldn't. Right now, she had another crime scene to take care of and there was no way she was going to have anything mess this up. She owed it to Kate. Claire composed herself, wiping away the stray tears and stood up. She didn't notice that Tony's eyes followed her with a hurt expression.

"What now, Gibbs?" she asked, struggling to keep her composer. Gibbs looked at her in a dazed fashion. She wasn't the only one having a hard time absorbing what had just happened.

"I'll call Ducky. You, Tony, and McGee make sure the area is clear and search for Ari's position." He told her, not looking up. Claire nodded and immediately took off towards the door. Tony followed, watching her closely. Without a word, they started making their way down the stairs, guns at the ready to shoot down any threat. And Claire was more than willing to have some target practice. Tony trailed quietly behind her, scanning the warehouse but also analyzing her actions. She was aggressive and cold which was very unlike her. Once they made it to the bottom level Claire stashed her gun in her jacket, but remained silent as she marched her way towards the door. Tony couldn't stand it anymore. He reached out and grabbed her arm, swinging her around to face him. Her hardened stare bore into him as he searched her face to get a feel on how she was going to react. Her sudden coldness was a new one for him.

"Claire we need to talk about this." He started cautiously. Claire huffed, avoiding his gaze and face. She was hyper aware of the blood splatter that was decorating both of their faces and she struggled to look at it. It was just another reminder of what had just happened.

"No, we need to get to that roof top. We need to get to Ari before he disappears." She protested and tried to pull away but Tony held fast.

"We both now that he's long gone by now." He told her gently. Claire didn't turn her head. She knew he was right. They both stood there in silence for a moment, Tony waiting for her to do something…..anything.

"Claire…..talk to me." Tony finally asked, ducking his head to try and grab her attention. She swallowed and turned to face him, her eyes wavering.

"Not now, we have a job to do." She argued weakly. Tony sighed, knowing he wasn't going to get anything out of her in this state. He reluctantly let go of her arm and nodded. Satisfied, she headed towards the door. Tony following her, both of them putting on indifferent expression just to get through the task ahead of them. When they walked outside McGee was waiting for them, a nervous expression on his features.

"So Kates?..." he trailed off as he saw the two stoic expressions. Nobody had said it out loud for him to hear over the headset, but he wanted to confirm that gut feeling.

"She's dead." Claire told him, softening her tone a little. McGee swallowed thickly. He couldn't imagine how they felt since they saw it happen. The group stared at each other for a moment, all of them trying to get back to a sense of normalcy. Tony stepped up.

"Ok, let's set up a search on those buildings over there." Tony gestured to the warehouses in the distance. Claire and McGee nodded and the three headed off, desperately trying to ignore the sound of sirens heading their way. Claire glanced up a she noticed the sky begin to darken. It looked like a storm was coming. She couldn't help but bitterly muse at how fitting it was for the current mood.

Hours later they had set up a laser system to determine where the shot came from. As they started to walk over towards the building, the heavens finally opened and the rain started to pour down on the agents. They all walked on, their hats covering their eyes. This weather wasn't going to deter them from giving their teammate, their family, the justice she deserved. Claire could feel her clothes sticking to her body as they finally made it to the door of the warehouse where the shots were thought to have come from. Kicking it in McGee and Tony took the lead, guns raised while she trailed behind to cover their backs. The building was empty, not even a sign of anyone having been there. They spotted a service elevator off to the side and too emotionally exhausted to take multiple flights of stairs, Claire lead the way towards it. Reaching the top level, the agents walked in silence out onto the roof. The rain continued to pour down on the team as they urgently scanned the surface for any sign of Ari. Claire walked over to a ledge, where she had a perfect view of the rooftop where the murder happened. It was a perfect setup. She swallowed her painful thoughts and glanced around her. Something gold caught her eye and she leaned down to get a better look at it. Bullet casings.

"I've found it!" she called out reaching into her jacket to pull out some evidence containers. Tony and McGee hurried over to her and started helping. Ari hadn't cleaned up his mess which was good news for them. She thought it was odd that there was more than one casing but didn't dwell on it. This was just one step closer to closure for Kate's death. That's all she could ask for right now. Tony and McGee stood up, knowing that there wasn't anything else to be found. Ari wouldn't leave much behind. However, they also noticed that Claire wasn't leaving. Tony sighed, knowing that she wouldn't stop. She was hurting.

"You go ahead Probie, we'll meet you down at the car." Tony mumbled to Tim. McGee nodded in understanding and headed back into the warehouse with one last glance back at his teamates. Tony squinted as he glanced up at the rain that was still pouring down, no sign of it stopping anytime soon.

"Are you trying to catch pneumonia or something?" Tony weakly joked, trying to lighten her mood. Claire glanced over at him blankly but didn't stop her searching.

"Just trying to do my job Tony." She answered hollowly. Tony put his hands on his hips, knowing that this wasn't going to be easy.

"Claire, there's nothing else here. Let's head back to the office." He walked over to where she was kneeling. Claire stubbornly shook her head, not trusting her voice. She had to find something else, anything else. If she went back to the office, then it would become even more official. She just couldn't face it right now.

"Claire, stop." Tony gently pulled her up, holding her shoulders carefully. She couldn't look him in the eye for fear that she would break down. His expression softened. Without another word, he pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms securely around her. Claire stiffened in defiance for a moment but her emotions won out and she returned the gesture, burying her face into the crook of his neck. She desperately tried to keep her tears back, momentarily thankful that the rain would cover up any that leaked out. Tony remained silent and repositioned his head to lean on top of hers. Neither one of them spoke as the rain continued to soak them both.

"I'm scared Tony." Claire eventually mumbled out. Tony leaned his head closer to her so he could hear better. He didn't say anything knowing the second he did, she would close back up again.

"I don't want to go back and see her empty desk. It will just confirm everything. I don't know if I can handle that. I need to stay strong for her, Tony. She needs us to do our job without any emotions getting in the way." Claire confessed, just taking the moment to vent. Tony closed his eyes, holding her tighter against him to keep out the cold chill that was setting in.

"I know, but it'll be ok. We'll do our jobs, get that bastard back, and then we can properly mourn after all of this is over. OK?" Tony told her, tilting his head down to look at her face. Claire nodded and took in another deep breath. They could cry later. Right now, Kate needed them to have a clear head. Tony smiled down at her and Claire returned it tightly.

"Now let's get out of the rain. You look like a drowned rat." Tony quipped. Claire rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the small smile that broke out across her face. She still had Tony and the rest of her team. They would make it through this. Without another word the two of them headed over towards the door and made their way down to meet McGee at the car.


	21. Chapter 21

[From Kill Ari 1]

In the lab, all of us were lying on the floor trying to avoid the shattered glass that was spraying us. However, Tony was lying on top of me while Abby was off to the side. With everything that had been happening up until this point, my brain was going haywire and I couldn't think straight.

"You hit?" he asked, looking down at me worriedly. His eyes lingered on my wide ones before flicking over to Abby's.

"No." Abby wheezed out in slight shock. Tony didn't move, and I grunted breathily from all the weight bearing down on my chest.

"You're heavy." I quickly reminded after a moment of silence. _God Claire, Tony is lying on top of you and all you can thing is that he's heavy?!_ I resisted the urge to close my eyes in embarrassment. It had started. I have this weird tick that when I get way to overwhelmed, I blurt out anything and everything and have absolutely no filter. It has only happened a couple times but I had learned to curb it over the past few years. Now it was coming back with a vengeance, which is never a good thing.

"Oh sorry!" Tony exclaimed and quickly scrambled off of me. This knocked me out of my mental ramblings. Once he was up Tony grabbed mine and Abby's arms and started to drag us along the floor, staying clear of the windows. Abby let out another shout of surprise. Tony set the two of us against the wall and pulled out his gun. I however acted like I had lost my marbles. Without thinking I harshly squeezed his thigh.

"Huh Tony, no wonder you're so heavy. You have a lot of muscle." I marveled. _Oh, God, shut up!_ Tony faltered and looked at my from the corner of his eye.

"Claire shhh." He scolded, not paying full attention as he was in full protective mode. Abby shot me an incredulous look. Tony walked past us and crouched down and my hand acted on its own again.

"Oh you have a nice ass too." I commented as I smacked it. Tony turned back to look at me in startled confusion. I groaned in humiliation and buried my head in my hands, desperately trying to get myself under control.

"Hey, is this how you deal with getting shot at?" he asked in concern, taking note of my uncharacteristic behavior. _Thank god he wasn't taking it seriously, even though I was being totally honest._ I lowered my hands so my eyes peeked out.

"I'm so sorry it's been a really stressful few hours….I don't really know what's going on right now." I croaked out with a grimace. Tony furrowed his brow and stared at me worriedly.

"This is my first time." Abby told him, taking the attention away from me. Tony nodded at us and went back into agent mode, glancing up and trying to get a look out the window.

"So this is the no filter stress huh?" Abby whispered to me once I scooted closer to her and pulled out my gun. I only shot her an 'unfortunately. And I hate my life' look. Abby nodded, her eyes still wide in amazement. It was one thing for her to hear about it from me but, I'm sure actually witnessing it was a whole different thing. _Thankfully Tony didn't know about it._


	22. Chapter 22

[From Kill Ari 2]

"I really did like you Kate….a lot." McGee told her, his voice thick. Claire smiled wryly, her own eyes tearing up.

"We all did." She muttered. The three teammates stared down at the fallen agent with heartbroken expressions. This was the last time they would see her. After a moment Tony reached over to cover her face back up. He walked over to Claire and McGee, wrapping his arms around their shoulders and guided them out gently. As they walked to the parking lot McGee broke off, letting the other two walk ahead to their own spots.

"Can I stay with you tonight? I know Devon cares but I can't really take his sympathy right now." Claire admitted as she stood by her car. Tony watched her expression. He couldn't remember the last time she looked like this. Claire looked up at him pleadingly as the rain poured down on her already wet form, her arms wrapped around her middle. She was so broken, so vulnerable. It nearly broke his heart to see her so distressed. There was no way he was going to deny her comfort.

"Sure thing." Tony nodded his head towards his car and she eagerly followed him. The ride over to the house was silent. Tony kept glancing over at her worriedly, but she paid no attention. She just stared out the window at nothing. They parked at his apartment complex and he quickly walked over to open her door for her. The trip remained silent as she followed him into the apartment.

"There's some of your spare clothes in the bottom drawer of my dresser. Don't want to catch a cold for the funeral tomorrow." Tony gently told her.

"Thanks Tony." She smiled up at him gratefully and made her way into his bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Tony made his way into the kitchen to start up some coffee, just as something to warm them both up. He leaned against the counter, his arms crossed against his chest and let his mind wander.

 ****** _"Wow Tony, the night before my funeral and you're brining a girl home." Kate quipped from across from him. Tony rolled his eyes at her implying tone._

 _"That is not what's happening and you know it." He told her sternly. Kate chuckled._

 _"But you wouldn't mind if it happened, right?" she pushed, a knowing smirk on her face. Tony scrunched up his face at her._

 _"What?" he asked her dumbly. Kate scoffed._

 _"Oh come on Tony! Everyone knows that you have a major crush on her! I can only imagine what you were like in college, probably even more hormonal than you are now. How she doesn't see it is beyond me." Kate shook her head in disbelief._

 _"Kate now is not really the time for this ok? There is nothing to pursue so just drop it please." Tony told her, avoiding the path that this conversation was going. This was not the time to be thinking about this. Besides all he was concerned about right now is making sure Claire didn't break down on him_ _ **.**_ ******

Before Kate could protest the sound of the door opening brought Tony back to the present situation. Claire walked into the kitchen clad in a large t-shirt, and leggings with her damp hair in a messy bun on top of her head. Tony straightened up and handed her a cup of the fresh brew. She smiled thankfully up at him before taking a sip. Tony patted her shoulder and made his way into the room so he could change into dryer clothes. Claire took her cup and sat down on the couch, curling her legs up underneath her.

 ****** _"Comfortable?" Kate asked from beside her on the couch. Claire glanced at her warily, unsure of the underlying tone in her voice._

 _"Oh don't give me that look. You and I both know that you are beyond content being here with Tony." She scolded._

 _"Kate this is not the time." Claire scolded, a small blush coming to her cheeks. Kate smirked at her impishly._

 _"Mmmhmmm, Tony the gentleman to the rescue. I'm sure he's more than willing to cuddle up to you in comfort. That boy cares for you, more than you know. You two just need to own up to it." Kate told her. Claire chuckled into her coffee. Maybe eventually, but now they were both to emotionally compromised for it to mean anything._ ******

Tony stepped out of the room and made her way over to sit next to Claire, taking the place of where Kate had been. Setting his coffee on the side table, he reached over to take her now empty cup and set it on the table too. He switched on the TV and lounged back against the armrest holding his arm out invitingly. Claire slid over and leaned her head against his shoulder, resting her hand on his firm chest muscles and fisted his shirt instinctively. Tony draped an arm around her shoulders and the two sat in silence, watching the old black and white movie that was on until they fell asleep. The next morning would bring its own perils but for now they were content to bask in each other's company.


	23. Chapter 23

[Drunk and Jealous] 

**3** **rd** **Person POV:**

The team had been given a couple weeks leave after everything had been sorted out with Kate's funeral and her case. Even though there was some protest, everyone knew that they needed the time to grieve for their friend and get on with the healing process. However, this didn't mean that they spent all that time apart from each other. Tony and Claire used the time to spend most of the break in one another's company to help deal with the emptiness that had made a place in their hearts. In those days Claire's strong feelings for Tony only grew as she spent alone time with him. Nearing the end of the leave Tony had opted for a day out around the city, the café being their first stop.

"Do you think Gibbs puts something special in his coffee?" Tony asked randomly. Claire smiled in amusement as she watched him peer down at his own cup of caffeine.

"No, I'm pretty sure he drinks it black." She told him in a 'duh' tone. This was common knowledge to anyone that knew the older agent. Tony shook his head and gave her a thoughtful look.

"Not the regular stuff…..like maybe he puts some booze in it….or special vitamins that gives him his unhuman like instincts or something." He rattled off, staring at the far wall as his mind reeled with possibilities. Claire laughed.

"I think you're going a bit stir crazy." She told him with a wince. If she was honest she couldn't blame him, not working was driving her nuts.

"Yea that's probably it…I can't wait to get back." He told her honestly. The two paused as they thought about how different work would be now. It would be a while before they could completely get past it.

"How are you by the way?" she asked him, watching his reaction carefully. Tony wasn't one for confronting his feelings.

"Fine." he told her, obviously lying. Claire gave him a look.

"Or I will be anyway." He amended. She reached across the table and grabbed his hand comfortingly, rubbing circles with her thumb. Tony brought his eyes up to meet her own.

"It'll be ok. We'll get back to work and it'll get easier." She assured. He wasn't really sure if she was trying to convince him or herself, but either way it helped. Suddenly Tony's cell rang and he reached for it, taking his hand out of hers. Claire watched him intently as he answered and started conversing with the other person. Her smiled dropped hesitantly as his brightened even more, talking about making plans for the day. As he hung up she quickly fixed her features, turning them back to neutral.

"Who was that?" she asked casually. Tony chuckled in amazement before looking up at her, a new light in his eyes.

"That was Paula Cassidy, she's in town and wants to meet up." He told her, smiling broadly the whole time. Claire's smile dropped. Of course, he would get excited about her coming in, Tony was still hung up on her which bothered Claire more than she would have liked.

"Today?" she asked hesitantly. That is after all what he had been suggesting on the phone.

"Yea, you don't mind right? I mean this is probably the only time I'll see her before we got back to work." Tony quickly explained, already picking up his jacket. Claire's heart constricted painfully. He had already made up his mind and just wanted her permission so he wouldn't feel guilty. A large part of her wanted to tell him 'no' since this was their day together, but then again it wasn't like she was his girlfriend or anything. In his mind she was just a friend…and just a friend wouldn't get so possessive.

"Yea, sure go ahead." She agreed, plastering a strained smile on her face. Tony didn't notice and hopped up eagerly.

"Thanks you're the best!" he adamantly told her as he dashed out the door. Claire sighed and stared down at the cup in her hands. She had to quickly get a grip on herself with this whole relationship thing. Tony was not hers so she shouldn't act like he was. After another half hour of self-pity, Claire decided to call up Abby. Some girl time was in order.

...

Later that night the two of them had headed out to do a bit of clubbing before the work week hit. The last time they had done so was with Kate quite a few months ago. Pushing the feelings of hurt aside they strode in, ready for the major hangovers that were headed their way. Inside the two easily made their way to the bar, much to the tender's delight. After ordering their drinks the man brought them back and gave it to them 'on the house', eyeing Claire up the whole time. Not that she noticed. During the time she had to herself, Claire had dwelt on what Tony had done. In all honestly it had made her mad. How dare he blow her off like that, it was just hurtful and rude. This of course did nothing but add to her growing jealously of Agent Cassidy. As she thought hard on all of this Abby leaned over towards her.

"He's cute." Abby whispered impishly after the bartender had walked off to cater to another customer. Claire glanced at her in confusion.

"Who?" she asked. Abby rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"The cute bartender who was eyeing you up." She elaborated. Claire looked over at the man, who was incidentally smiling over at her. He turned back to his work.

"He's ok I guess." She admitted nonchalantly. Abby gave her an odd look.

"Claire he is totally into you." She pressed with a surprised smile. Claire rolled her eyes.

"Just because the drinks were on the house does not mean he was into me." Claire defended, sipping her drink slowly. She actually wanted to remember part of the night so drinking had to be slow.

"Is there anyone else that you think would be better than hot tamale over there?" Abby asked, looking at her curiously. She knew full well who would turn Claire's head and it wasn't the bartender. Claire scoffed innocently.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She dismissed, looking anywhere but at her friend.

"Well, he's tall, dark, and obnoxious." Abby joked, watching her friend's reactions. Claire shot her an unamused look.

"Yea well that's not going to happen." She told Abby with a bitter undertone. This got Abby's attention.

"What makes you say that?" she prodded curiously. Something obviously had her worked up.

"Because I don't have short, blonde hair and the last name Cassidy." Claire muttered, draining the rest of her drink.

"Cassidy? You're all upset because you're jealous of Paula?" Abby asked. She watched in amusement as Claire groaned, holding her head in her hands.

"I know it's so juvenile" she whined. The two of them giggled at her pitifulness.

"What made you think of her, isn't she still on ship or something?" Abby continued, sipping her drink as she listened.

"Apparently she's in town now." Claire muttered, absently running her finger around the edge of her glass. Abby nodded in understanding, but Claire wasn't done.

"I'm usually not this bad. If the jerk hadn't have dropped all our plans to run after her, it would have been fine." She ranted, reaching for the next drink that had been prepared for her. She shot the man a thankful smile, which he easily returned. Abby watched the two in amusement but almost spit out her drink at the last comment.

"Wait, he ditched you when you two had already made plans?" she asked incredulously. Claire nodded.

"That bastard." Abby gasped seriously, making Claire laugh.

"But seriously, don't worry about Paula. You're not the type to be the psycho jealous admirer." Abby told her, a gently expression on her face.

"Yea, I know. This is just the first time I've felt this strongly about someone and the whole violent jealously feeling is new to me." Claire admitted. Abby patted her back in reassurance.

"Just don't let it get to you. After all it's not Paula's fault." She reminded. Claire sighed but nodded reluctantly.

"I guess I should forgive him then too huh?" Claire asked.

"Who said anything about that? He still ditched you when you two had plans. You stay mad at him as long as you want, I'll even help you." Abby suggested with a broad smile. Claire laughed even louder and held her glass up for a toast.

"Here, here!" she cheered as they tapped glasses. The two spent the night in much happier spirits now that the air had been cleared. If only Tony knew what was coming for him the next time they saw him.

...

In the wee hours of the morning, Claire got out of the taxi and made her way up to her house. The night had been a long one and Claire was more than ready to be in her bed. As she reached the stairs she stopped abruptly, almost tripping over the person that was sitting on them.

"Tony what are you doing here?" she asked blearily. Even though she wasn't blackout drunk, she was still a bit buzzed. Tony stood up quickly.

"Why are you out so late?" he asked instead. Claire blinked hard and made her way around him tiredly.

"I asked you first." She weakly countered as she unlocked the door. Tony watched her silently as she walked in the house, leaving the door open for him to follow.

"I don't know…..I just needed some company." He told her quietly, shutting the door behind him. Claire huffed out a sigh and plopped herself ungracefully on the couch in the living room. Tony remained silent as he watched her, suddenly unsure if he should be here or not. Claire looked over at him and patted the spot beside her.

"Come on, tell me what happened." She urged, sounding much like a tired mother talking to her troubled child. He walked over and sat down obediently.

"Paula broke it off." Tony told her after a few minutes of playing with his fingers. Claire blinked, trying to keep her unstable emotions organized. Maybe her buzz was a bit more than she had thought.

"You were dating?" she asked, trying to clarify the situation. Tony shook his head.

"Not really…..I'm not really sure what our relationship would be categorized as but I did like her." he admitted. She nodded, starting to get the picture.

"Well then I guess there's not much you can do about that." She told him gently. Tony glanced at her in confusion. Claire caught the hurt look in his eyes and shook her head, thinking of a better way to rephrase it.

"What I meant was that you should give her some space. I know you and when you genuinely like someone you can be relentless." Tony didn't correct her, but listened intently as she continued.

"I know you like her but just let this play out and see what happens. Who knows, maybe she'll come back to you and life will be all good again." She told him, wanting to choke on her words. Loving someone meant that you wanted them happy no matter what. And right now his happiness came from Paula and not her. That and she was too tired to fight right now.

"Thanks Claire." He smiled at her gently. Claire nodded and rubbed her forehead tiredly.

"So why are you out this late?" he asked curiously, noticing her distracted state.

"Why does it matter to you? You had other plans so I made some more of my own." She told him, getting a bit defensive at the end. Tony raised his brows in surprise at her tone.

"What happened? Did I do something wrong?" he asked her in confusion. She turned to glare at him. Was he kidding?

"Just forget about it, I'm in no mood to be mad at you right now." She muttered as she stood up. Claire teetered a little bit, causing Tony to jump up and steady her.

"Wow you got hammered huh?" he asked her in a joking tone. Claire blinked hard again and pointed up at him.

"I'm not hammered….just a little bit of a buzz." She countered pointedly. Tony smirked at her. She was starting to sway and surely would have stumbled around had he not been there.

"Ok then buzz, let's get you to bed." He told her, leading her down the hallway.

"Is that supposed to be some pickup line? Cause I don't care how cute you are, I am not sleeping with you while under the influence." She told him defiantly. Tony chuckled and glanced at her in amusement. Her face scrunched up in confusion as she processed what she had just said.

"That came out wrong. Maybe I'm more drunk than I thought." She rambled tiredly, letting Tony drag her around her house. He watched her intently with a small smile as she looked up at him helplessly.

"Hi Tony." She mumbled with a goofy smile. He laughed, she was going to have a major hangover tomorrow for sure.

"Hi Claire, go get ready for bed." He instructed, handing her the pajamas that were on the dresser. She muttered a 'kay' and obediently went to get dressed in her bathroom. Tony watched her go and stood in her room listening for any indication that she needed help. However, she fared just fine and eventually padded out of the bathroom. She wobbled over and unceremoniously flopped onto her bed with a giggle. Tony smirked and headed towards her.

"Under the covers is best Claire." He scolded playfully as he helps maneuver her limp body under the covers. Once he had wrested her in she contentedly dug her face into her pillow.

"Tony." She called out quietly. Tony sat down next to her.

"Yes?" he asked making sure she wasn't getting sick or anything.

"Can you get me a drink?" she asked looking up at him with big eyes.

"Water?" he asked, already making his way across the floor.

"No! Scotch." She ordered. Tony paused and looked back at her with a smile.

"I think you've had enough alcohol." He countered gently, walking back to her side. Claire whined.

"But the bartender let me have whatever I wanted. And some of it was free." She argued childishly. Tony rose an eyebrow.

"He gave you free drinks?" he asked incredulously.

"Yea, he was cute and Abby said he had the hots for me." She mumbled into her pillow. Had she been sober she would have noticed the off put expression Tony had across his face.

"Did she now?" he asked lowly, not liking the idea of another man hitting on her.

"Yea but it's ok because he wasn't being mean to me." She chirped pointedly. Tony was confused.

"Are you saying someone else was mean to you?" he asked, immediately hopping up to run after whoever it was.

"Yea you were." She pouted. His expression dropped to one of utter confusion.

"How was I mean to you?" he asked, this time kneeling down to look at her face. She glared at him tiredly.

"I'm not telling." Claire pulled the covers over her face. Tony shook his head with a smile and gently pried them out of her hands so he could look at her again.

"Oh come on Claire, I'm sorry?" he told her as more of a question, hoping that would make her open up. She glared at him again.

"If you don't know what it is then don't apologize. I'm mad at you." She glared again. Tony sighed and looked down in frustration. What had he done? Claire was a pretty truthful drunk and he just wanted to know what he did that bothered her.

"Claire why are you mad at me?" he asked again but when he looked at her she was fast asleep. The alcohol had finally caught up with her. Knowing he wasn't going to get her back any time that night he simply readjusted the covers around her shoulders. After a moment of hesitation he leaned down to kiss her forehead, knowing full well that she would never remember it. Making his way out of her room he glanced back one more time before shutting the door and heading out of the house. They had work in the morning and needed their sleep for the long day. Hopefully he would pry the reason she was upset out of her tomorrow. As he drove home he started to mentally prepare for that feat. It was much harder getting Claire to open up when she was sober.


	24. Chapter 24

[From Mind Games] 

"A whole week of TAD with Gibbs I can smell the fun already." She told the others sarcastically.

"Yea well it's not all the pleasant for us either." Claire snapped back with a glare. Paula looked at her in slight surprise at her tone. With a sigh Claire shook her head and walked off down the hallway. Agent Cassidy looked back at the remaining agents questioningly.

"It's been a tough month." McGee muttered apologetically as he sorted through paperwork.

"Right now Gibbs pretty much hates everyone Paula." Tony told her, a sad tinge in his voice.

"And Claire hates me." He muttered and he started down the hallway to follow after her.

 **Claire's POV:**

I walked into the women's bathroom and leaned against the counter. _I had to get a grip on my emotions._ With everything going on it just piled up inside me and Tony wasn't helping anything. Why didn't it ever occur to him that maybe I liked his company and it hurt that he was devoting every waking moment to the blonde in our office. And now I had to spend a whole week with her too. I rubbed my face with a groan and looked into the mirror. However, a familiar figure was standing silently behind me, making me nearly jump out of my skin.

"God, Tony what are you doing here?!" I asked, placing a hand on my chest to calm myself and took a deep breath. Tony smirked but didn't say anything. With an eye roll I turned back to the mirror and wiped my eyes, trying to ignore his presence.

"You know if someone comes in and sees you here, we'll be the talk of the building and not in a good way." I told him, trying to get him out of here. Tony nodded in thought before reaching over and locking the door.

"There, now no one will be coming in to interrupt us." He answered with a smug smile. I finally turned to look at him. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back against the counter.

"What do you want Tony?" I asked irritably. He didn't say anything but just grazed his eyes over my face with a worried expression.

"Something is eating you and I want to know what." He told me sincerely.

"I'm fine, nothing is eating at me." I countered, not even trying to make it a believable lie. Tony shook his head.

"No, you're not. All the physical abuse and digs at Paula are not typical for you." He told him, pointing at me accusingly. I stared at him stoically, trying to crush the easy smile on his face.

"Is this about something I did…..like did I offend you in some way. Is that why you're so mad at me?" he asked, realizing that I wasn't going to spill so easily. My face immediately hardened even more.

"Ok, so I did do something?" he asked, already knowing the answer. I watched him warily as he walked towards me and placed his hands on my shoulders, looking down at me with a soft expression.

"I'm sorry." He told me.

"For what?" I asked, raising my brow questioningly. Tony glanced around nervously.

"For whatever it was that I did to upset you?..." he told me with a wince. _He doesn't even know!_ This made me mad. I scoffed at him before shoving his hands off of me harshly. Tony watched me with a stunned expression.

"You don't even know! Tony, if you don't know what you did then don't bother apologizing just to appease me." I spat at him angrily. Tony tried to reach out for me again but I jerked away, my arms still crossed over my chest.

"But if you would just tell me then I would know." He reasoned pleadingly. I almost gave in at the look he was giving me, but this wasn't something to just brush off. He had to realize how serious this was to me. I am not the type of person to just be brushed aside without second thought.

"Yea well if our friendship meant anything to you then I wouldn't have to tell you." I insisted before unlocking the door and walking out, leaving Tony behind with a hurt expression on his face.


	25. Chapter 25

[From Mind Games] 

"Have you gotten the call yet, because they're not going to kill me know. I'm the only one who can identify the killer." Boone rattled off smugly. Gibbs stared at him blankly.

"Do you think she screamed when he cut out her tongue Jethro?" Boone teased again.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her yourself?" he suggested. The men turned to see Claire step out of the observation room. She had some cuts on her face, a black eye, her arm in a sling and had one of Tony's old t-shirts on….but she was alive and standing. Boone's expression dropped rapidly.

"I'm afraid your lawyer is going to miss your execution tomorrow" she informed him in mock sympathy, setting a glare onto the psychotic man. Tony walked out and stood behind her protectively.

"He's kinda dead." he added with a sneer.

"Enjoy hell." Gibbs dismissed and the team stood there as they watched a screaming Boone get dragged away. Once he was out of sight Claire let out a relieved sigh and leaned against the wall. Gibbs had taken his leave so it was just Tony there with her.

"You ok?" he asked, a panicked expression across his face as he analyzed her from head to toe. Claire chuckled humorlessly.

"Yea, just peachy. Thanks for letting me borrow your shirt. I promise to get the blood stains out of it later." She told him with a soft smile. They stared at each other for a long moment, her eyes furrowing as she noticed that there was a distant look in his eyes.

"Are you ok?" she asked on turn. Tony's gaze came back to the present and he rolled his eyes at her.

"That is a stupid question. How are you getting home?" he asked, secretly hoping she didn't know yet.

"Abby called my brother, so Devon is waiting outside. I'll be using him a lot seeing as I can't really drive well for a couple weeks." She joked, lifting up her injured arm in the sling. Tony nodded silently.

"Goodnight, Tony." She told him, squeezing his hand comfortingly as she passed.

"Night." He called back, watching her go. Once he was alone in the hall, his mind became flooded with thoughts. Tony slid down the wall as he recalled everything that had happened a few hours previous.

...

 _Gibbs slammed on the breaks as they arrived at the abandoned barn that McGee had tracked the lawyer's phone to. Without waiting for him to park, Tony threw himself out of the car. The sounds of shouts and sharp thumps caused his throat to constrict painfully. Drawing his gun out he darted inside. In front of him Claire's head was thrown violently as O'Neil landed a heavy punch to her eye. She stumbled on her feet before tripping backwards over a stray piece of wood. The world seemed to move in slow motion as the man lifted up the knife, laughing manically. Claire had nowhere else to go. As his arm came down to kill her, a shot rang out and his body fell limply to the side. Claire screeched in shock and whipped her head around towards where the sound came from. Tony stood there, breathing heavily as he stared venomously at the dead lawyer on the ground. She had never seen him so enraged before in her life._

 _"Tony." She whispered out, blood trickling down her face. The sound of her voice, broke him out of his trance and he holstered his gun before sprinting towards her. Gibbs had shown up and was checking that the man was truly dead. Tony slid on his knees next to Claire who sat up and buried her head onto his chest. He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her tightly, one of his hands pressing her head closer to him. His eyes welled up with tears as he gently laid his head on top of hers, taking comfort in the fact that she was in his arms. She let out a sharp hiss as he squeezed a bit too tightly, causing him to reel back frantically._

 _"Are you ok? What's wrong?!" he hovered trembling hands over top of her, terrified that he had inflicted some more damage to her. She shook her head dismissively._

 _"I just have a bad shoulder. Can you untie me?" she asked him with a tearful laugh. Tony nodded and quickly set to work. Once her hands were free she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck in a relieved hug._

 _"I'm so sorry." He muttered into her hair as they sat there._

 _"You didn't know…" she started but he leaned back to look at her seriously._

 _"No, I mean for everything. I'm sorry I ignored you for Paula and I promise that I won't ever do it again. You're my best friend Claire, I couldn't even begin to fathom what I would do without you." He told her earnestly. Claire's eyes watered in happy emotion and she just leaned forward in a hug once more, unable to form words. As they sat there Tony became lost in thought. The words 'best friend' tasted like acid coming out of his mouth. This was so much more than that. When he thought of her dying it was like a piece of his soul was being crushed. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't function. The strong overflow of powerful emotions had floored him on the way over here. What he thought he felt for Paula didn't come anywhere close to what he felt for the girl in his arms right now. Holding Claire close to his body felt so….right. There was no other way to describe it. Nothing else had ever filled the emptiness in his life other than this raven haired, blue eyed beauty with him right now. She had been with him through everything and he hadn't given it much thought until now. When he was faced with the possibility of losing her permanently, it all clicked into place. The fuzzy feelings, the comfort he had in her presence, the second glances her way. He was in love. Tony DiNozzo was in love with this woman and it terrified him._

 _..._

Shaking himself out of his daydream, Tony drew in a deep breath. He had chalked up this realization to adrenaline, but even now when it had worn off…..the warmth in his heart remained. He loved Claire, he always had. Now it was just going to over-complicate things with them. Then again maybe not. She didn't know, nor did she need to. Kate was right. She had hinted to his feelings long before he even knew himself. Tony ran a hand down his face as he let everything settle in his mind. He would just have to ride this one out and see what happens. Being in love was a first for him and he wasn't ready to just dive in. Besides, Claire didn't need this burden on her shoulders. For now it was best to just keep it to himself. Claire saw him as a best friend, but who knows?...Everyone needs something to hope for.


	26. Chapter 26

[sometime in the future. Episode TBT] **I know it's out of order but wanted to share and get some of your thoughts on future happenings for their relationship.**

 **...**

 **3** **rd** **Person POV:**

Claire made her way up to Tony's apartment, nervous as to what the big announcement was. She had a sinking feeling that it had to do with Jeanne. Steeling herself, she knocked on the door and glanced around absently. In a moment the door opened up and Tony quickly ushered her inside. The second she was in the door, Claire spotted Jeanne on the couch and her heart sank to her stomach. However she acted like nothing was wrong and politely greeted Tony's girlfriend.

"So, what was it that you wanted to tell me?" she tentatively asked them. Tony sat down beside Jeanne and fidgeted nervously next to her. Jeanne took it as he was nervous about their announcement, but that wasn't the case. In actuality he was terrified to think of what this would do to his relationship with Claire. This could potentially be something that would ensure that he would never get a chance with her. Damn this stupid undercover job. Jeanne smiled widely and grasped Tony's hand in excitement. He could only smile tensely back at her.

"Well, Tony and I are planning on moving in together." She told Claire with a smile. Claire froze and stared at the two of them silently. This was huge, especially for someone like Tony who had a fear of commitment.

"Uh….wow….why did you need me here?" she asked them, her throat tightening up.

"Well we just wanted to make sure you were ok with this. You're Tony's best friend and your opinion means a lot to us." Jeanne kindly elaborated, taking up the speaking position for the two of them. Tony's throat closed up as he watched Claire warily. He was hoping that she would say something…anything to protest this plan. Maybe something along the lines of how much she loves him and can't let him go on with another woman. He would gladly give Jeanne up for her. Claire blinked hard as she processed all of this. She could use this to her advantage and say that it wasn't ok. Jeanne was giving her option to determine the fate of her and Tony's relationship. She could use this as a way to end it if she wanted. But Tony liked her and that fact that he was willing to do this said something about Jeanne. Then again he must have been the one to suggest that they get Claire's, in a sense, permission. What was she supposed to say?

"Of course, you don't need my permission or anything. This is great." She told them, hoping to come across thrilled rather than destroyed. Tony froze. She wasn't supposed to say that. Why would she say that? Did she really think this was a good idea? So did Claire approve and want Tony to pursue his relationship with Jeanne?

"Oh Claire you're crying." Jeanne exclaimed, reaching forward to put a hand on her shoulder. Claire's eyes widened in alarm and she reached for her cheeks. Like Jeanne had said, there was a steady stream of tears cascading down her face.

"What? Oh no, these are happy tears." She laughed it off, hoping it was convincing enough. Jeanne seemed to be satisfied as she leaned back against Tony and gazed up a him happily. Claire felt as if the room was closing in on her and couldn't bear to be in their company anymore.

"You know what….I've got to…um I gotta go….do something." She stuttered out, standing up and making her way to the door. Tony watched her intently. She couldn't leave now, she had to fix this. He needed her to fix this situation. Claire quickly bid the two of them goodnight and practically dashed off into the hallway. Jeanne looked up at Tony, who was still staring at the door worriedly.

"Maybe you should go check on her. I think this is all overwhelming." Jeanne suggested gently. Tony nodded mutely and dashed off after her. He ran through the building and finally caught up with her in the lobby.

"Claire!" Tony shouted, making his way towards her. Claire stopped but didn't turn around, wanting to take the few extra moments to collect herself for Tony's sake. When he finally reached her, Tony went to stand in front of her.

"Hey, are you ok?" he gently asked, eyes scanning over her face.

"Yeah, sure….why wouldn't I be….this is great Tony." She told him with a pained smile. Tony didn't say anything, as this was anything but great. This was tearing him apart. If it was up to him he wouldn't have to fake this relationship with Jeanne for the director and would be moving in with Claire instead. She was what he really wanted.

"You sure?" he asked her again, hoping she would get the hint that he didn't want any of this. But Claire was too caught up in her own emotional pain to notice his expression. She couldn't bear to look him in the eye, knowing that she was lying to his face about all of this.

"Yes, I'm sure. But I've really got to go now. You should get back to Jeanne and celebrate or something." She suggested briskly and patted his shoulder before walking past him and to her car. Tony watched her go, his heart breaking as he spotted her wiping at her face roughly. Tony growled in distress as he grabbed at his hair. How could things have gone this wrong?


	27. Chapter 27

[Sometime in the future. Episode TBT] **again far in the future but i would love to hear feedback on these plot developments for future episodes.**

 **...**

 **3** **rd** **Person POV:**

The whole team was gathered at the airport to see Claire off. She heard her flight number called and reluctantly stood up. She looked over at Devon and gave him a watery smile.

"Well I guess this is it." She told them. Her brother was the first to move as he bent down and gave her a bone crushing hug. Claire smiled sadly at the thought of being away from him again for who knows how long. Next came Ziva then McGee, Abby, and Ducky. After hugging almost everyone she glanced around for the one person that wasn't there.

"What happened to Tony?" Claire asked, trying not to reveal how much she wanted him to be there. Ziva and McGee glanced at each other in silent conversation.

"He….had some things to attend to. He said to tell you goodbye if he couldn't make it." Ziva gently told her. Claire glanced down in hurt before composing herself.

"Oh." She muttered. The fact that he had missed this crushed her. Didn't she mean more to him than some silly work?

 **Tony's POV:**

I frantically ran through the parking lot of the airport, trying to reach Claire before she left. I was such an idiot. How could I do that to her?! What made me think that letting her go without saying goodbye was a good idea? I thought it would hurt less but it was quite the opposite. I rushed passed the masses of people without caring who I was running over. I had to get there before she was gone for possibly forever. I had to tell her before she left me. I continued flashing my badge and running through the crowds until I finally saw the group that I was supposed to have come with. McGee saw me coming and pointed in the direction she went. With a nod, I darted after her.

"Claire!" I shouted just before she was about to step onto the ramp. She whipped around and spotted me. _This was it. I was going to tell her how I feel. That I love her with all of my being and I can't bear the thought of her leaving for so long. I needed her here with me. I can't live without her. I'm gonna beg her to not go on that plane._ She dropped her luggage off to the side and made her way towards me, barely holding in her tears. _I was going to do it. It was now or never._ After what seemed like an eternity I finally reached the angel herself and wrapped her up in my arms. Claire latched onto my neck and let out happy sobs.

"I thought you weren't going to make it." She muttered brokenly. I swallowed. _How could I have put her through that?_

"I wouldn't do that to you." I told her honestly. After another few moments we finally let go and I looked down into her eyes. _I'm gonna do it._

"Claire…I….." I stuttered. She looked up at me intently.

"I….come back home safe please." I told her sadly.

 **3** **rd** **Person POV:**

Claire's smile wavered a little as he finally spoke what he wanted to say. She was hoping for some type of confession but that didn't happen. He didn't feel that way about her so she shouldn't expect anything like that from him. She smiled and nodded up at him.

"I promise." She assured and wrapped up her pinky with his, both laughing weakly. Tony smiled wryly. He had wanted to tell her but couldn't. She couldn't feel the same as him and he didn't want to part ways with her with an awkward air. He wanted things to be at the best they could. That and he couldn't take the heartbreak that would come from her rejection. Maybe she would be better off not knowing. They hugged again and Claire pulled away reluctantly as her flight number was called again. With a heavy sigh, she walked back over and picked up her bags. With one final wave to her friends and family she walked down the ramp. Tony sighed heavily as she went out of sight. He was so close and now he was so far. No one said anything as they watched the plane fly off into the distance.

"I love you." Tony whispered to himself as he watched his life disappear out of view. Little did he know that in the plane a teary Claire was sitting by the window, watching the building get smaller and smaller.

"I love you." She whispered to herself, thinking about how she should have said something sooner. Maybe things would be different. But life can't continue when you dwell on maybes.


	28. Chapter 28

**[** sometime in the future. Episode TBT] 

**3** **rd** **Person POV:**

Tony opened the door of his apartment and threw his bag by the door. As he walked over to the couch he saw there was a new message on his home phone. He sat down and turned it on; listening to the message.

"Hey Tony its Claire. Just wanted to check in and see how everything is going over there." Tony just looked at the machine with worry. Ever since he could remember Claire had always used the term 'checking-in' whenever she called because something was bothering her. It was like her own code word, whether she was aware of it or not. What could be bothering her that she would call him all the way from Europe? After the message ended tony immediately dialed her cell number to call her back. He waited a couple rings before she picked up.

...

Claire looked at her caller ID and immediately smiled seeing who it was.

"Hey Tony"

"Hey Claire, I got your message…you doing ok?" Tony asked hoping he could pry the reason for calling out of her. Claire sighed and stood up looking out her window at the view of London.

"Yeah everything is ….great." Tony immediately picked up on her slip up.

"You hesitated" She just shook her head at how attentive he was being.

"Yea I did." she laughed.

"How is everything Tony? McGee and Ziva doing ok?"

"Yea she's still kinda scary, and hasn't picked up the English language but…. "Claire just laughed, leave it up to Tony to make a joke.

"Don't worry Tony I think you'll be just fine. Just make it long enough for me to see you when I come back." He laughed

"Now that I can promise. So, what's bothering you?" she took a deep breath trying to decide whether or not to tell him.

"I miss it. I miss the work. I miss the team. It's just not working out over here like we hoped." Tony could hear the sadness in her voice. He understood it was hard to keep distance between the people you care about, especially undercover for this long. He was having just as hard a time as she was. Being so far away from her and unable to be there to protect her was killing him inside.

"Yea I know. When are you coming home?" even though Tony wouldn't admit it out loud he really missed her.

"Not sure. But if everything goes as planned it should be soon."

"Good hope to see ya soon then"

"Hopefully, clear a space at my desk for me will ya?" she joked.

"Of course" Tony replied smiling fondly.

"I've got to go. Bye Tony."

"Bye. Stay safe." As he hung up the phone he looked over at the shelves on his wall. His gaze lingered on a photo of him and Claire back at Ohio State. They were at a football game and were decked out in Ohio State apparel. They didn't know they were being photographed while Claire laid across Tony's lap in the back of the pickup truck. He had found it shortly after Claire had joined the team and decided to put it up. He smiled fondly at the picture, shook his head and walked into his room for the night. That night he would fall asleep thinking of Claire and waiting for when she would come home.


	29. Chapter 29

[Sometime in the future. Episode TBT]

...

 **Claire's POV:**

Finally it was the end of the day. I had finished all my paperwork and was headed home. I was hoping that Tony would finish up soon too. We had plans for tonight, provided nothing came up since we were still keeping our relationship under wraps. I pulled on my coat and grabbed my purse, making my way towards the elevator.

"Night everyone." I called as I made my way across the bullpen. Tony and I shared a subtle glance as I walked closer to his desk.

"Tony, head home. Its late, go get some sleep." Gibbs told him, never looking up from his computer. I faltered in my step a little and the two of us looked at each other in confusion. The timing of this was too coincidental.

"Are you sure boss?" Tony asked glancing again at me as I walked on past him.

"Yea go home." Gibbs assured. Tony leapt up and gathered his stuff, meeting me at the elevator. The doors opened and we stepped inside.

"That was weird right?" Tony quickly asked.

"Very weird." Tony and I leaned our heads out of the space and watched Gibbs suspiciously as the doors closed.

"….you don't think he knows do you?"

"No of course not." Tony countered immediately. We looked at each other and laughed. I leaned into Tony and he gently took my hand as we rode down the elevator.

 **3** **rd** **Person POV:**

"When do you think they're going to figure out that we know about them dating?" McGee causally asked once Tony and Claire had left for the night. They worked with trained investigators….did they really think no one would notice?

"Probably not for a long time. They think they're being sneaky." Ziva chuckled.

"Why do you think they're hiding it in the first place?" McGee asked the two that were left.

"They think I'll disapprove of them breaking rule number 12." Gibbs immediately informed, still not looking away from his work.

"Do you?" Ziva asked curiously.

"Nah…..this is the most Tony has ever worked in all the years ive known him." Gibbs told them jokingly. Ziva and McGee smirked at each other, not disagreeing with him. This was a good thing and none of their teammates disapproved at all.


	30. Chapter 30

[Sometime in the future. Episode TBT]

...

 **Tony's POV:**

I sighed as I reached my apartment and opened the door. Finally, home with no dad. I do love him but he's just so much to deal with whenever he pops in. I set my bag beside my door and turned on the light. _Well at least he didn't trash my living room._ I walked over towards the kitchen and turned the light on in there. I rolled my eyes and ran a hand down my face as I looked at the mess. He had tried to cook again and didn't even bother to clean up his culinary failures. Just another thing for me to do before I go to sleep. With a heavy sigh, I turned the lights back off and headed back towards my bedroom. I can't do heavy duty cleaning in my suit. Just as I was about to turn the knob the door flung open and someone pounced on me. I was tired and my reactions were sluggish so the person knocked me to the floor. Hearing the low giggle and immediately knew who it was. I lifted my head and saw a smiling Claire sitting triumphantly on top of me. It's times like this where I almost regret giving her a key.

"What are you doing?" I questioned, fighting the smile that was crawling onto my face.

"I thought you might want a little pick me up after today." She told me with a smug look. My eyebrow rose curiously and I glanced down only to see that she was wearing one of my shirts. It hit about mid-thigh and from my vantage point her legs were bare…leaving me thinking of a few ideas.

"Claire I have a whole kitchen to clean, I can't." I told her reluctantly. I was starting to loathe myself for saying those words. She glanced down at me before helping me up off the floor.

"Are you sure?" she asked, snatching my tie before I could leave. She held me firmly in place. I looked down at her again and bit my lip, attempting to hold onto my resolve. She wasn't making it easy.

"Yea, I gotta clean it." I told her a little less sure of myself. She smiled devilishly up at me, making my knees go weak.

"I think it can wait until the morning." She murmured leaning up and hovering her lips over mine. I swallowed. I wasn't going to give in this time.

"No I don't think…" I told her huskily, as I held her gaze my mind went blank and I lost my train of thought. _Stay strong Tony._ She took a step closer to me. Now she was practically flush with my body, making sure I could feel every delicious curve.

"Think what Tony?" she innocently asked while placing butterfly kisses along my jawline. My mind was going into a haze and I couldn't even see straight.

"I think…..I…umm…" I pitifully muttered as she continued.

"Hmm?..." she hummed, sending vibrations on my throat. _Screw this_. I finally gave in and kissed her hard on the lips. I could feel her smile in victory but I didn't care. I was kinda happy she won out anyway. The two of us giggled as she stared walking us towards my bedroom. This day had taken a dramatic turn for the best. Maybe it wasn't all bad when dad came to visit.


	31. Chapter 31

[From Under Covers]

...

 **Claire's POV:**

Tony and I were going undercover…and this will possibly be the hardest thing I will ever have to do. Long story short we are playing a Russian assassin couple, Sophie and Jean-Paul. We will be finding their mark and their employers as we take their places. Now I am no stranger to undercover and the acting that comes with it but married couples engage in…..activities…romantic activities. I'm just not sure if I can handle 'acting' like I'm in love with the man when I actually am. Tony wasn't all to pleased either when we found out it would be the two of us playing the parts. Yes, logically we would be the best two on the team due to our chemistry and undercover experience but still, this could pose some serious problems for me. Currently we are riding in one of the undercover cars towards the hotel. The car is dead silent and you can practically feel the tension….but why it's there on his part too is a mystery to me.

"So…how are we going to play this?" I asked, looking anywhere but over at Tony.

"Well I figured doting couple would play out nicely. I mean we are pretty comfortable around each other anyway and it has potential to make people uncomfortable and not notice us." He mused, wiping his hands on his dress pants nervously. I nodded stiffly. _That's what I was afraid of._

"I did have one thought though…." Tony added, glancing over at me before staring hard at the road in front of him.

"Yea?"

"Well…I mean…have you…..ever like entertained the idea of us…um.." Tony stuttered, which really threw me off. I stared at him curiously. _Where was he going with this?_

"Us what?" I asked curiously.

"….dating?" he sputtered, not daring to look at my expression. My eyes widened in alarm and I whipped my head back around to stare out the window, hoping to cool the heat in my cheeks. Taking my silence as a bad thing he quickly explained.

"I just meant that it was bound to cross our minds at some point as most friends of opposite genders probably would and I mean I've thought about it once or twice….." he quickly rambled out but the last part really caught my attention.

"Yea, I've thought about it." I cut in nervously. _Am thinking about it currently_. At my confession Tony glanced over at me and seemed to sag slightly in relief.

"Well I just thought that to make this as believable as possible we could treat this as like a trial run." He told me, biting his lip for a moment. I glanced down and bit my cheek in attempt to keep my smiling to a minimum.

"So what you're proposing is that for this undercover mission we are dating and do all that it entails in order to play a married couple?" I summed up, not able to hold back a grin. _Maybe he did like me like I do him. But then again it could just be curiosity if it could work since we are so close, but either way I at least want to know what it would be like_. Tony nodded in agreement, a smile slipping across his face.

"And that way no one at work would ever really know about it." Tony added sheepishly. I laughed, totally getting where he was coming from.

"No breaking rule 12. Technically anyway. It's just for the mission." I agreed, buying into this lie and loving it. Tony grinned.

"Right, just for the mission. And what happens undercover, stays undercover." He agreed, looking over at me in what seemed like pure joy. That threw me for a loop but my own happiness was taking over at the moment.

"Ok, deal." I agreed, biting my lip nervously again. Tony's eyes glanced down to my lips from the action before staring back at the road with a permanent smile on his face. This could be good. I felt a hand reach over and interlock with mine. Looking down at our conjoined hands I glanced over at him with a loving smile, this was nice. Just from a simple, everyday touch I could feel the heat making its way through me.

"Starting now." He whispered. _Let potentially the best few days of my life begin…_


	32. Chapter 32

[From Under Covers] 

"Perfect way to spend a weekend." Tony adds, walking over and opening up a cabinet to reveal a flat screen television.

"Come on! Big screen TV." He cheers happily and picks up the guide. Claire smirks and walks over towards him.

"Oh, 200 channels, look at this HBO, ESPN, History channel." He lists off. Claire smiles up at him and shuts the doors, turning his attention towards her. His breath hitches as he stares down into her eyes, darkening with desire. He fiddles with the strap of her dress distractedly.

"…. Current or classic movies…" he trails off thoughtlessly as he follows her around towards the bed, Claire grinning up at him silently.

"I take it you're not interested in the premium channels." Tony muttered breathily as she takes his hand, leading him back even closer to the large king sized bed.

"There's only one thing I'm interested in right now." She murmurs, staring up at him intently. Tony's lip quirks up as he starts down at her lustily, his heart soaring at what would come next. They stare longingly into each other's eyes before he tilts his head down towards her. Softly he lowers his lips onto hers, relishing in the taste of her own lips which returned the kiss eagerly. After a moment, they both pull back, already breathless from the simple action. Tony stares down at her, falling even farther into the blue abysses of her eyes before pulling Claire into a loving embrace as he went in for another kiss. Claire's arms wrap around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her, wanting to take in all of him in the moment. She smiles into the kiss as they continue. As the kiss becomes more fervent Claire quickly unties her dress and lets it flutter down to the floor. Tony groans as his fingers trail over her bare skin, wanting to be as gentle as possible; going against his innermost instincts. Claire's breath hitches as the burning feeling of his hands caressing her body. Already feeling the increase of heat, she reaches up and begins unbuttoning his dress shirt, unable to get it off fast enough.

...

 **Claire's POV:**

Heavy breathing fills the room as we come down from our very hot and heavy activities. My heart is still pounding heavily as I stare up at Tony who is smiling down at me goofily, unable to stop the grin. I giggle breathlessly and reach up, fumbling around for a remote on the nightstand. Unable to grasp it I tilt my head a bit, catching a glance of all the clothes strewn on the floor. Finally, I find the remote and turn on the radio, kicking it up a few notches to cover our voices from anyone listening.

"Do you think they bought it?" I ask breathily from underneath Tony.

"I did." Tony beams down at me giddily. I huff out a laugh at his expression. I shift around and grin up at him deviously, feeling something against my bare thigh.

"That's fairly obvious." I muse in a whisper, raising a brow at him. Tony scoffs.

"For your information that's my knee." He counters defensively. _I know a knee when I feel one…and that ain't it._

"Whatever, you can get off me now." I tell him. Tony frowns and looks down at his watch, not moving from his position on top of me. I try not to blush as he shifts against me, the blankets tightly wrapped around us which leaves no space between our bodies.

"It's only been 10 minutes. I have a reputation to protect." He smirks down at me.

"We're not even sure we're under surveillance yet tony." I counter.

"You can't be too careful when you're under cover. Let's give it another 40 minutes, just to be realistic." Tony informs cheekily as he begins to move once more, reaching up to caress the side of my face. I blush as a frankly brazen thought comes to me.

"Realistic huh?" I murmur thoughtfully. Tony hums in agreement, his eyes roaming over my face.

"In that case….." I quick flip us over, taking Tony by surprise.

"I prefer it on top." I explain, smiling down at his excited expression as I straddled him.

"I can live with that." He mutters happily, running a hand through my hair to pull it out of my face. Shifting once again I notice that his 'knee' has stiffened significantly once more. I gasp playfully and run my knee over it. Tony's eye bulge and he holds back a throaty groan, unintentionally sending waves of pleasure through me at the sound. It was sexy.

"What was that for?" he asks breathlessly, staring up at me in surprise.

"Because that was definitely not your knee." I informed, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. Tony chuckles, reaching up to pull me back down for another searing kiss.

"Care to use these next 40 minutes more…realistically?" I ask lowly, looking down at him longingly. His eyes widen in surprise and his eyes rake over my face curiously.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to do anything you don't want. We can keep pretending." He whispers urgently, nothing but sincerity in his eyes. I smiled down at him, my heart warming that even in our compromising position he still thinks about me and my feelings. I lean down to nuzzle him, pressing kisses on the corner of his mouth, causing him to hum contentedly.

"Well if we only have a few days, I want to get in as much as I can." I told him seriously. Tony beams up at me before flipping us back over, sending me into a fit of giggles. This was pure bliss.


	33. Chapter 33

[From Under Covers] 

**Tony's POV:**

Currently I was lounging on my back, hands resting behind my head while Claire had her head on my shoulder, running her fingers through my chest hair soothingly. I sighed deeply, in utter bliss and thoroughly exhausted. This mission is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Claire hasn't shied away from any of my advances and even instigated some activities of her own. I buried my face into her hair, inhaling her intoxicating scent. Pulling her closer to me I laid my head atop of hers, thinking of how right this all felt.

"Sweetheart, you know what I could really use right now?" I mused.

"Some deodorant?" she quipped tiredly. I shot her a short glare as she giggled. The noise brought a smiled to my face.

"I was thinking more along the lines of back massage." I corrected, watching her out of the corner of my eye. She propped herself up on her elbow to stare at me thoughtfully.

"Good idea. Why don't you roll over like a good boy." She cooed teasingly, getting my heart racing once more. I grinned at her and eagerly settled over onto my stomach while she straddled my back, her robe draping over her shoulders. I was so tempted to tilt my head back to stare at what the robe wasn't covering. All thoughts were sent out of my mind as she gently began working on my shoulders. I let out an involuntary moan in pleasure. _Oh…..my…..god…._

"Oh….wow….and to think that my mother thought I was too good for you." I quipped, letting out another groan of pleasure. She pressed roughly into a knot on my back, causing me to whimper in pain. She giggled lowly at my discomfort and kissed my back as an apology. I chuckled again and turned my head to look at her cheekily. Claire shook her head at me and leaned back down for a long kiss before letting her goddess like hands get back to my massage.


	34. Chapter 34

[From Under Covers] 

....

That night 'soothing sounds' on recording filled the room. Claire had claimed that the sounds would drown out any conversation that they might need to have during the night. Despite not getting another romp with Claire, he was perfectly content holding her as they slept. Or at least as she slept. Her head rested on his chest soundly, one leg draped over his, and her arm slung over his shoulder. Tony stared down at her incredulously as the sounds from the machine seemed to be growing louder and louder. How could anyone sleep through this?! He knew she was a deep sleeper but this was ridiculous.

"Oh my god." He muttered in despair.

"Please….shhhh." he shushed over her head and smiled when it went silent for a moment. With a grin he placed his head back on his pillow for a few moments of peace before it started up again.

"Come on you're killing me here?!" he groaned quietly trying to drown out the noise with his pillow. Seeing as this complaining wasn't going anywhere he looked back down at the girl in his arms.

"Claire?...Claire…" he whispered softly, getting no result. Time for a new tactic.

"Sophie." He called loudly. Claire groaned and whipped out a large hunting knife from underneath his pillow with the arm draped across him. His eyes widening in alarm. When did she get that?!

"What?" she muttered sleepily, her knife dangerously close to his face. Tony stared at it nervously.

"Nothing, I thought I heard something." He muttered sheepishly. With incoherent mumbling Claire shifted back, tucking the knife back under the pillow.

"Crazy chick." Tony muttered as Claire hummed against him.

"Where were you hiding that anyway?" he asked curiously.

"You don't wanna know." she slurred with a giggle. Tony grinned in amusement and shifted again, drawing her closer to him.

"Can we at least turn off the noise machine now?" he asked, hoping she was just out of it enough to not notice.

"Hmmmm….sure babe." She sleepily agreed, instantly falling back asleep. Tony silently cheered before switching it off with the remote.


	35. Chapter 35

[From Under Covers] 

...

The light from the early morning slowly made its way under my eyelids, slowly waking me up from a deep sleep. Peeking my eyes open I noticed that it was only 5 in the morning, so the light wasn't actually sunlight. Lifting my head up it was just some kids playing with flashlights in the room across the street. However, I was already up so might as well do something. Shifting to a more comfortable position I tilted my head up and smiled. Tony was dead to the world, head cocked back, mouth open to produce a small snore and his normally pristine hair was all in disarray. I loved it. I lied there for a while, just thinking about how this could very possibly be our last day under cover. Our last day to 'pretend' to be together. That didn't sit well with me. What was going to happen once all of this was over? Pushing the negative thoughts aside I decided that I might as well make the most of our time. I loved spending time with him in this type of setting, like a couple and I would be sad to see it end. So if this is it then I want to get a good amount of relationship stuff in before we have to get back to work.

"Tony?..." I whispered, hoping to get his attention without alerting the camera that I knew was still on us. He snorted before mumbling something in Italian but didn't wake up. I grinned in amusement, reaching up to lightly tap his cheek.

"Tony?...Jean-Paul…..dearest…" I cooed hoping to wake him up easily. Luck didn't seem to be on my side. Realizing that I needed a stronger tactic I carefully leaned up and pressed a light kiss to the side of his lips. This got me a low hum. I watched him for a moment and giggled in surprise when he pursed his lips. I rolled my eyes and leaned up to press a kiss against them, chuckling when I heard him laugh. I rose a brow as he finally creaked open his eyelids.

"You were awake this whole time, weren't you?" I pursed my lips in amusement. He grinned at me cheekily.

"Ever since you started ogling me." He informed. I could instantly feel my cheeks heating up.

"I was not ogling you…..not with that bedhead anyway." I quipped with a gasp. Tony chuckled and wrapped me up into his arm, burying me farther into his chest as we chuckled.

"You know now that we're up we should do something productive." I suggested, sneaking a look up at him. Tony frowned and glanced over at the clock.

"What could we do at 5 in the morning?" he asked in confusion. I grinned.

"Well we could always shower…." I trailed off, lifting my head to look him in the eye. His brow shot up and a grin spread across his face. I watched as his face scrunched up thoughtfully.

"Hmm….then we could be ready for anything earlier…" he suggested, already buying into the idea.

"Yea, and that way we could be done before anyone came into the office…..you know to watch the camera or something…" I added pointedly. Tony lifted his head to look over at our camera flowers before smiling down at me.

"Race ya!" he darted towards the master bathroom, nearly tripping over the sheets as he did. I laughed quietly and followed him in, already hearing the water turn on. When I reached him I gently pried the earwig out of his ear and set it on the counter next to my own, just in case.

...

Later on in the morning after we had showered….among other things...Tony was stretched out, his arm and head dangling off the bead as he had fallen back to sleep. I however decided to keep watch; besides once I was up I was up for the day.

 **"Tony…Hey DiNozzo!"** McGee shouted into the earwig we were now wearing. Tony groaned and swatted at his ear sleepily.

 **"Tony!"** McGee shouted again, obviously watching the screen from NCIS.

 **"This is great, you're sleeping in a 5 star hotel and I'm a waiter."** I heard him mutter bitterly.

"Wanna trade places McGee?" I asked, watching Tony fondly. Yes it wasn't all that appealing to watch but because it was Tony I found it adorable.

 **"You're awake."** McGee realized as I made my way in front of the camera.

"Since 0500…. He snores." I explained grimacing internally at my lie. Was that really the best I could come up with?

 **"Got a package here for you. Ziva said you would know what it was."** he informed. I turned towards the camera in surprise.

"The shades? Can you bring them up with breakfast?" I asked, excited to see just what they could do. Sometimes Ziva's connections were handy.

 **"Sure. Gibbs wants Tony up too."** McGee added. I chuckled and glanced back over at him.

"My pleasure." I assured deviously and walked over towards him.

"Jean-Paul, my little furry bear. Wake up." I cooed in a sing-songy voice while I sneakily dumped some water over his head. Tony yelped in surprise and leapt up onto the bed into a defensive pose.

"I'm in the ready position boss!" he shouted instinctively as he stood up on the bed in his underwear. I stared at him incredulously, trying desperately not to laugh.


	36. Chapter 36

[From Under Covers] 

...

 **Claire's POV:**

Getting off the phone with Abby, I headed back into the main room only to find Tony ogling the FBI chick who was disguised as a maid. It made my stomach tighten into knots and I glared at the both of them from just inside the door. I held in a growl as she bent over, giving him what I assume was a great view as he couldn't tear his eyes away from her ass.

"Like what you see Agent DiNozzo?" she asked coyly, not turning around until after she had finished. Tony chuckled sheepishly.

"The room is clean accept for the listening devices that we had installed. We're free to talk." Marie informed him. Tony grinned goofily.

"Yea…so.." he cleared his throat nervously.

"So you're the one who's been watching us?" he asked, a bit of nervousness hidden in his eyes. That's right….they had been watching everything so if they squealed then we were screwed relationship wise.

"Oh yea, when this is over we should really go out for drinks." She flirted, walking over to stand in front of him.

"I…I'd like that." Tony agreed with a bright smile. Seeing that Tony wasn't going to do anything to deter her, it was my turn to step up to the plate. Making my presence known I walking into the room casually.

"I'm pregnant Tony." I announced. Instantly Tony's smile dropped and he stared at me with wide and terrified eyes. Did he really think I would know I was pregnant this fast?

"Maybe some other time." Marie suggested uncomfortably and shuffled away as I approached. Who needs to be jealous when you can be tactful.

"She was….she was kidding." Tony scoffed, gesturing towards me as he watched the other agent walk away. I looked up at him innocently.

"Is something wrong?" I asked curiously. Tony glared at me but I could see his amusement, knowing what I had just done.

"Thanks." He muttered sarcastically.

"Oh she's not your type anyway." I easily dismissed. His brows rose incredulously.

"Hot and in a maid's outfit? They don't get anymore 'my type." He informed pointedly. I turned to glare at him.

"Do keep in mind that for the duration of this mission you belong to me and have no right to ogle other women." I informed him, yanking him by the collar of his sweater. Tony chuckled and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Is that a promise?" he mused. I shook my head at him and leaned up to press a searing kiss to his lips. By the look on his face I guess he won't be forgetting that he's mine for a while.


	37. Chapter 37

[From Under Covers] 

...

"If you let him go I'll tell you where the disk is." she bargained. The man looked over at the waiter who brought over a small metal case.

"You'll tell me either way Mrs. Rainer." He assured. Claire watched as he pulled out a large knife from the case. He grinned down at her sardonically.

"Why don't you two take a moment and consider your options." He suggested, placing the knife back in the case before walking away. The three men left to wait in the adjacent room to let the couple talk. As soon as the door closed they turned their heads towards one another.

"I might have a plan." Tony wheezed out before she could say anything. Claire frowned as she caught sight of the cuts all along his face.

"What?" she asked.

"The Rainers obviously stole something they want and you're going to give it to them." He explained. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"We don't have it." she countered, watching him worriedly.

"You tell them it's in our hotel room. The only way they'll find it is if you show them. McGee should be waiting for us in there." Tony insisted, taking a heavy breath after talking. Claire went to protest but groaned, knowing he was right.

"Good plan, except for one minor drawback." She told him sternly.

"What?" he frowned.

"When I'll leave…they'll most likely put a bullet through your head." She told him fearfully. Tony looked back at her, picking up on her tone. He tried to smile at her comfortingly.

"Oh…well….I didn't say it was a perfect plan." He countered jokingly. Claire turned to look at him in shock.

"Then we're not doing it. We can think of something else." She insisted, not about to let him sacrifice himself. Tony sighed, and shook his head in protest.

"No that's the best we have." He told her gently. Claire bit her lip, trying to maintain her composer.

"I am not about to let you send me out while you are left here to die." She muttered tearfully. Tony paused and tried to smile at her in an attempt to stay strong for her.

"It'll be ok. Maybe he won't. But if he does then I will be ok going out, knowing that you are alive and have a fighting chance." He told her seriously, wishing he was in a different position so he could hold her. Claire's breath hitched at his words but the door opened before she could say anything. Only two of the men came back in this time, having the waiter go out into the hotel. The leader picked up the knife and studied it carefully in front of them.

...

"So you are going to kill us. Right?" Tony asked nervously, shooting Claire a look.

"I haven't decided yet." The man grinned deviously.

"Give me the disk and we'll see." He explained, gesturing for Claire to head out.

"If I'm not back in five minutes….kill him." he ordered the blonde man. Claire shot one last look at Tony, trying to convey all of her unspoken emotions in one glance. Tony smiled sadly at her, the two of them locking eyes as long as they possibly could before she disappeared into the hallway. The moment the door shut the Mr. Cord began taking off his jacket to reveal his weapons.

"That was purely for your wife's cooperation." He informed, leaning over and picked up the large knife from the table.

"We like to call them little white lies." He mused. Tony stared up at him unsure of what he could do in here, all the while trying not to think about what would happen to Claire. But hoping and praying she would make it through this, even if he didn't.  
...

Tony grinned nervously as the man watched him in intrigue, twirling the knife in his hands.

"You know what's funny? I was really looking forward to having a kid there for a minute." he mused with a chuckle. The man just frowned at him.

"This is a big step for me, having a little DiNozzo running around." He added thoughtfully, taking a moment to reflect on his life. Tony was almost happy to have a fake glimpse at a pregnant Claire, maybe carrying his own little one. Maybe a son with her eyes and his smile. Or a little girl that he can dote on that looks just like her mother. His heart hurt with the possibility of missing out on that.

"DiNozzo?" the man snickered. Tony whipped his head up seriously.

"Yea that's my full name. Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, NCIS." he listed off, the man's expression dropping at every word. Not giving him time to react tony stood up and swung the joined chairs around into the man, knocking him onto the floor.


	38. Chapter 38

[First Morning] 

**3** **rd** **Person POV:**

That next morning Claire was jolted awake from her slumber by a loud groan of pain. Blinking away the sleep from her eyes she found herself lying on Tony's couch. She slowly sat up, shifting as to get rid of the kinks in her back. Another pitiful groan was heard from farther into the apartment, namely Tony's room. Claire got up and walked over to the room, pushing the door open and peering in. Tony sat up in the bed, hands running along his face as he tried to work the pain out of it. She smiled a bit at his utterly disheveled appearance.

"How's your head?" she inquired, making her way to sit on the bed beside him. Tony frowned and looked at her through his fingers.

"I though you left?" he mused groggily. Claire shook her head in amusement. He was definitely not a morning person.

"Tony your face is busted up and you might have had some serious damage. I was not going to leave you alone." She countered, prying his hands from his face to examine the cuts.

"You had some more scotch after I fell asleep, didn't you?" he countered with a deep chuckle. Claire bit her lip at the alluring sound.

"Just a bit. But regardless I wasn't leaving you just yet." She explained. Tony watched her silently as she took his face in her hands and looked over the various bruises and cuts. Finding one that was blooming along his cheek bone she pressed on it gently, causing him to flinch.

"Might want to put some ice on that shiner." She suggested.

"A kiss might make it better too." He countered, flashing her a cheeky smile. Claire chuckled and leaned in to lightly press a kiss against it, but at the last second he maneuvered so she hit his lips instead. She squeaked in surprise and Tony reached up to press a hand on the back of her head, keeping her in place. Breaking apart she grinned at him, pleased that this was still very real. A part of her had wondered if it was just a dream. They two of them grinned at one another, obvious that a burden had been lifted off their shoulders.

"Well did that work?" she asked him in amusement. He hummed thoughtfully.

"Not so much for my bruise but it did wonders for everything else." He answered. The two of them chuckled. In doing so Tony's cheek moved painfully and he winced, bringing them back to the present issue.

"Seriously we should ice that." Claire reminded in a motherly fashion.

"Fine." he relented and began getting up only to be pushed back down by Claire.

"Tony, I don't think you should be getting up this soon. You need to take this day off and rest." She chided. He scoffed and stood up, grabbing her hands in his.

"He busted my face not my legs. I will be fine." he dismissed. His smile slowly faded as her stern look didn't falter.

"Can I at least move to the couch?" he sheepishly asked, much like a child being scolded. Tony watched nervously as she bit her lip, considering his proposal.

"Fine but that's it for now." Claire relented, a small smile on her face. Tony grinned fondly at her as he let her drag him out into the living area.

"Did you sleep out here?" he asked, picking up the throw blanket that she had left behind. She glanced back at him as she made her way into the kitchen.

"Well I assume so as that's where I woke up." Tony grunted as he reclined onto the sofa.

"Why didn't you just climb in with me? It's not like it would be anything new. Pretty sure we already passed a couple of those hurtles relationship wise." He quipped. Claire held in a giggle as she brought out a coffee and a bag of frozen peas.

"I would have even been generous enough to let you take advantage of me while I slept." He added, looking up at her seductively. Claire laughed out loud at that and firmly pressed the peas against his face, eliciting a grunt of discomfort.

"Slow down there Casanova. We're already dating now so you don't have to try and woo me." She scolded. Tony chuckled, holding the peas on his own now.

"Sorry, force of habit." He apologized sheepishly. She shook her head in amusement and handed him the coffee, Tony thanking her before she made another trip into the kitchen to grab her own cup.

"Are you up for a movie?" she asked, already looking through his extensive DVD collection. Tony didn't answer as he was distracted by how good her legs and butt looking in the legging she was wearing. Claire waited for him to say something but when he never did she whipped her head around. Tony didn't even react and continued smiling appreciatively at her. She rolled her eyes, having anticipated that now they were 'official' or whatever he would be much bolder around her when it came to situations like this.

"See something you like?" she asked cheekily. Tony chuckled and glanced up at her face.

"Only when you're in the room." He answered with a grin. Claire snorted in amusement.

"Smooth." She muttered before picking out a DVD and popping it in. Tony shifted to make room for her as the two snuggled under the blanket, watching as Casablanca began playing.

"Hm black and white movies…..I approve." Tony hummed as he slung a casual arm around her shoulders.

"I figured you would." She smiled, feeling his heartbeat under her head as she had her head resting against his chest. A few minutes into the movie the couple heard the sound of knocking on his apartment, Claire leaping up to look through the eyehole. Tony watched her curiously as she eagerly opened up the door, his attention straying from the movie. He frowned as she took some boxes from the young man at the door, chatting kindly with him as she did. But what he was bothered by was how attentive the boy was when she was talking. His eyes seemingly lit up in her presence, and while she was distracted Tony glowered at his wandering eyes. Before he could find the energy to get up and step in Claire handed the delivery boy some cash and bid him goodbye, promptly shutting the door behind him. Picking up the boxes once more Claire happily made her way back to him on the couch. She opened up one of them and held out the container full of fresh pastries out to him; but her smile faltered a bit when she saw his grim expression.

"What?" she questioned, her mind reeling as she tried to figure out why he was acting like this. Tony shrugged stubbornly and grabbed one of the goodies, promptly stuffing a bite into his mouth.

"Nothing…..who was that?" he asked in a casual tone, while chewing on his breakfast. Claire watched him in confusion as she pulled out a pastry of her own.

"That was Jacob. He works at the café that I always go to. Thus the goodies that you are currently devouring." She answered easily. Tony hummed thoughtfully.

"He seems to be awfully friendly with you." He pointed out, not looking directly at her. At this she paused, a smile slipping onto her face.

"Tony are you jealous of a teenage boy?" she asked in amusement. Tony scoffed but didn't answer, not able to admit that he kinda was. Claire laughed.

"If I recall correctly I'm not at his apartment right now watching movies and sharing homemade pastries." She trailed off. Tony smiled sheepishly at her; after all she did have a point. With a chuckle of his own Tony pulled her back down into their previous position, getting back to the old movie on the television.

"Besides he's too young for me anyway." She added as an afterthought. Tony stiffened and glanced down at her.

"So if he was older would you date him?" he grunted. Claire giggled.

"No, but I couldn't pass up teasing you about it." She admitted, feeling his body relax at hearing that. He was so easily riled up.

"You know you can be mean when you want to." He growled playfully. She lifted her head and looked up at him.

"Yes, but you love me for it." She quipped. Tony chuckled and leaned down to kiss her soundly on the lips.


	39. Chapter 39

**[** From Honor Code] 

**Claire's POV:**

At the security office people were rushing about, causing a bit of havoc as we made our way behind the blonde, busty secretary Ms. Ozgood.

"I'm sorry I didn't get back to you right away agent McGee. We've been having some problems of our own." The secretary apologized earnestly as she led us through the building.

"Problems?" McGee asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. I'm only Mr. Connell's assistant." She explained as the lights flickered on and off before completely shutting off.

"That's been happening for the last half hour. They should cut back on." She explained with a sigh. As we waited in the dark I could feel a hand sneaking it's way under my shirt. Jumping from the contact I reached over and punched the culprit in the shoulder.

"Tony!" I scolded as he laughed at my reaction. Before I could let him have it, the lights came up again and a security guard nearly ran us over with his Segway. I quickly jumped out of the way, knocking into Tony who swiftly grabbed the secretary and swung her around to safety against the desk. I watched with a glare as she gazed up at him with a dazed smile.

"Are you alright Ms. Ozgood?" Tony asked, a charming grin on his face.

"Uh…its Laura." She told him, obviously enjoying his arms around her.

"Laura." Tony whispered lowly, not taking his arms away. Biting the inside of my cheek I stood there next to McGee as the two remained in their embrace. After a few seconds I cleared my throat loudly, getting their attention.

"If you two are done?" I quipped irritably. Tony looked over at me apologetically and another voice rang out in the lobby.

"Ms. Ozgood?" a man asked sternly, his hands on his hips as he surveyed the situation. Laura quickly untangled herself from Tony in alarm.

"I'll take it from here." He dismissed her curtly. She straightened her blouse in embarrassment and rushed off, Tony watching her go.

"Greg Connell, QNR security." He introduced himself to us.

"You guys sure got here fast." He mused in confusion.

"We just found out about the break-in ourselves about an hour ago." The commander man beside him piped up. The three of us looked at one another in confusion at this news. What break in was he talking about? As the men gestured for us to follow them upstairs I wanted to take a moment to have a little talk with Tony. Dragging him roughly by the arm I found a secluded alcove for us to talk. Tony rubbed his arm, as I threw him forward.

"What the hell was that?!" I spewed at him, feeling my emotions coming up to the surface as I had been keeping them in while in public. Tony looked at me curiously.

"You bumped me into her. What's the big deal?" he questioned.

"The big deal is you two were ogling each other and getting pretty comfortable as you felt her up." I growled. Tony held out his hands, trying to calm me down.

"There was no feeling up anyone. Besides, what else was I supposed to do with McGee standing there?" he pointed out gently. I glared at him, not following.

"What does McGee have to do with anything?" I asked him curiously, feeling my temper starting to simmer down.

"If McGee sees me backing off every woman I come across, he's going to know that something is up. I thought we were trying to keep this to ourselves?" he explained, walking forward and placing his hands on my shoulders. I glared up at him.

"Fair point but would it kill you to tone it down a bit. Especially around me." I asked him sincerely. Apparently I'm the actively jealous one in this relationship and if he was going to have to flirt to keep up a façade then this was going to be difficult. Tony chuckled before bringing me into a hug. I sighed and used the moment to lean further into his embrace.

"I'll do my best. Can't have you clawing someone's eyes out over me. That wouldn't be too subtle." He joked.

"Shut up." I mumbled into his chest, smiling as he placed a kiss on top of my head. With a heavy sigh I broke away from him and lead the way back to the lobby to continue on with our assignment.


	40. Chapter 40

[From Honor Code] 

...

 **Claire's POV:**

"Got it boss, black SUV, no rear window." Tony relayed to the rest of the team as he spotted the sedan with his binoculars.

"One visible suspect in the vehicle." He added, spotting the bald man sitting in the passenger seat. He and I were crouched down behind a small car on one side while the other three were making their way to surround the sedan in question.

"Should we take him out?" he asked, as I was ready to go beside him.

"Wait, were almost in position here." Gibbs informed as they were all getting into maneuvering around the garage.

"Copy." Tony muttered as he ducked down behind the car, handing the glasses to me. He shifted to sit comfortably while I watched the sedan.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather be partnered with Ziva, I mean uh the two of you seem to click splendidly on this case." Tony quipped. I turned my eyes towards him in a glare. Ziva and I were the farthest thing at the moment as she insisted Zach's dad abandoned him to turn traitor.

"Shut up Tony." I growled at him before looking back through the binoculars.

"Well we're about to storm this vehicle, who knows what's going to go down. Don't want your head out of the game or anything." Tony pointed out.

"Don't worry Tony, I got your back." I assured him distractedly. Tony chuckled dryly.

"You've got my back…listen lady if anybody is getting anybody's back it's me getting yours." He informed me pointedly. I chuckled lowly and looked at him.

"Is that so?" I asked coyly. Tony grinned his crooked smile up at me.

"Oh most definitely." He agreed cheekily.

"In position boss." McGee muttered over the com, breaking us out of the mood.


	41. Chapter 41

[From Honor Code] 

**Claire's POV:**

As I was heading back to the office Tony greeted me as we met along the walkway next to their desks.

"Gibbs got Connell talking yet?" I asked.

"Lawyer won't let him talk so Gibbs is giving him the old 'stare'." Tony told me lowly as we stood face to face, Tony staring down at me. I bit my lip, trying to reign in my smile. I watched as Tony's eyes flickered down to my lips and grinned even more. Before either of us could even think about doing something I caught sight of Ziva coming up to meet us. She scrunched up her face in distasted and brushed past us.

"Gibbs does it much better." She told him, already guessing what he was trying to mimic.

"Bringing an apple for teacher?" Tony teased as we watched Ziva put an apple on McGee's.

"It's for McGee, he's been very generous in helping me adjust to this new city." She explained.

"So you're giving him an apple?" Tony deadpanned as he sat down, opening up a file.

"It's a small gesture." Ziva sighed, sitting back at her own desk.

"Well if you want to thank him why don't you just get him a date." Tony chuckled. I slapped the back of his head as Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Gibbs wants to know if you've got anything he can use on Connell." Tony asked her seriously, changing the subject.

"Frank Connell is a deacon at his church, never at a violation let alone a parking ticket, and he calls his mother every Sunday. The man is spick and spam." She frowned. I pursed my lips and looked up at her.

"The saying is spick and span." I corrected.

"Spam Is lunchmeat." Tony added in explanation.

"Oh….then what exactly is span?" she asked, looking at us in confusion as Tony took the file in her hands.

"Span is….." he glanced around in thought. That's a good question…..

"…I'll get back to you on that." He dismissed, walking back to his desk. I shrugged his direction when he shot me a questioning look.

"In my opinion Frank Connell is not involved in this." Ziva told him.

"Well good I'll let Gibbs know right away because he loves to hear our…opinions." Tony mused sarcastically, shooting her a look.

"He's distracted by his affections for Zach. And he's not the only one." Ziva pointed out with a sigh, muttering the last part under her breath. I shot her a glare, knowing full well who she was indicating.

"Gibbs doesn't get distracted. And Claire isn't easily swayed when it comes to the job." Tony bristled.

"What do you call it then?" Ziva asked cooly.

"Boss, moves in mysterious ways. Get this to him." Tony answered and tossed a file onto her desk. She rolled her eyes.

"Why me?" she asked.

"Because we're going to go see your little buddy McGee." Tony answered, swiping the apple off his desk and yanking me along after him.

"Hey put that back!" she called out.

"I'm just bringing it to him." Tony countered innocently with a hidden grin. Once we entered the elevator I waited a few moments before shutting it down. Tony turned to look at me curiously but before he could get a word out I quickly slanted my lips hungrily over his. Tony of course had no objections and wound his arms around my waist, pulling me in closer. After a brief make-out I pulled back for some air.

"What was that for? Not that I'm complaining." He smirked down at me, not releasing me from his hold.

"We were interrupted before I could act on that sexy look you were giving me earlier." I told him with a cheeky grin. Tony chuckled.

"This one?" he asked innocently and stared down at me with the smolder that always weakened my knees. I growled playfully and pecked his lips once more and turning the power on once more.

...

As the elevator stopped down by Abby's lab, I quickly jerked away from the steamy kiss Tony and I were sharing, leaving him blinking owlishly before getting himself together. Now that we were keeping it a secret I enjoyed testing him by doing something seductive before abruptly leaving him high and dry. Sauntering in Tony took another bite out of the apple as he walked into the lab behind me.


	42. Chapter 42

[From Frame Up] 

...

 **Claire's POV:**

Ziva was at her desk reading a book titled 'American slang' to help with correcting her usage of the American sayings, which I found highly amusing. McGee and I were sitting peacefully at our desks. Then there was Tony….

"Ohhhh yea baby." Tony purred as he played some game at his desk if the noises were anything to go by.

"Oh, come on…" he groaned happily with a chuckled as the computer continued to make beeping noises. This made me suspicious as I have heard those responses from him before…and they had nothing to do with video games. I watched as Ziva rolled her eyes and McGee looked over at him in annoyance as the noises from both the computer and the man continued. We all watched as he started making mewing noises in a rhythm and when a buzzer sounded he winced.

"I'm trying to concentrate." Ziva growled through her teeth.

"That makes two of us then doesn't it, Zi-Vah." He countered, not taking his eyes away from the screen and putting emphasis on the back half of her name childishly.

"Is this work related?" I asked dryly. Tony quirked an eyebrow.

"Of course its work related…Claire." He answered in an upbeat tone. McGee slowly walked over to watch Tony's screen once he was distracted.

"Judge my ." McGee read off. This time my eyebrows shot up and Tony immediately started, grabbing a magazine to slap over the screen frantically.

"Hey!" he shouted at the Tim defensively.

"I thought we were working on this Tony." I scolded him, with an pointed undertone. Tony smiled sheepishly at me.

"Old habits die hard." He muttered before shooting a glare at McGee.

"A little privacy over her Probie." he scolded. McGee rolled his eyes and as he walked back to his desk at a painfully slow pace. During this he made a show as he lifted up his suit jacket to show off his tush. Ziva leaned forward examining it; playing along.

"I give it a 4." She told him. McGee dropped his jacket and whipped with an insulted look.

"Are you kidding me?! 4?" he asked her defensively.

"Out of 5 I think that's good….isn't it?" she explained, waving her hands in question. I grinned in amusement as McGee puffed up in pride.

"Out of 5." He murmured tauntingly, pointing at her in approval. Ziva nodded and shot a point back at him. Tony leaned against his desk, putting out his butt and running a hand along it as he looked in the computer monitor reflection. I looked over at him and couldn't hold by my chuckle at how ridiculous he looked.

"Come on." Tony coaxed as he wiggled it around, grinning over his shoulder at me.

"No I will not get involved with this…"

"Come on, come on." Tony continued chanting as he paraded it around. I bit my lip in amusement.

"But Gibbs seems to always be around the corner I'm not…."

"Give it a little look see. Give it a little something." He chirped relentlessly. I began laughing again at his persistence. However there was a plus side to all of this…..I could stare at his ass without questioning from the others.

"No…no!" I stubbornly protested, not wanting Gibbs to walk in on me comment. That would be so embarrassing.

"Come on!" he slapped his butt.

"What do you think, rate it." He taunted with a devilish grin. I licked her lips and sighed, knowing he wasn't going to drop it until I rated it.

"Fine…..a 2." I told him decisively. Tony's smolder dropped as he gaped at me.

"A 2?" he asked in confusion and glanced at McGee who laughed triumphantly.

"2?!" he waved his hands around in disbelief. Ziva said nothing and went back to her book, hiding her smile behind it. I grinned at him coyly as he scoffed, clearly offended that I thought so little of it.

"What's a 2 DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked causally as he strode into the office.

"I was just explaining the rules to Ziva boss." Tony coolly explained.

"And number two is what?" Gibbs asked, rifling through his desk drawers. Tony froze as he desperately tried to remember. Ziva looked to him in amusement.

"You know I'm always a little fuzzy on 2." Tony admitted.

"Grab your gear, we're going to Quantico." Gibbs ordered instead. We all grabbed their bags quickly and started after him. However Tony quickly got his and stood directly in my exit as my back was turned. So as I spun around to leave I yelped in surprise as I nearly ran him over.

"Two?" he glared at me. I grinned at how seriously he was bothered by this.

"I thought you liked my tush?" he questioned seriously. I giggled and pulled him close to me by the lapels, once I saw that the team was already heading down the elevator.

"Of course I do." I told him quietly, my mouth hovering over his. Tony glanced down at my lips but quickly looked back up at my eyes and frowned.

"Then why a 2?" he asked curiously.

"I took 3 points off for excessive hair." I quipped, looking him up and down seductively.

"I don't have.." he scoffed nervously but paused at my knowing grin.

"That's a 5." He realized. I giggled at his sudden mood change.

"If you shave." I joked and smacked him on the butt playfully. Hearing this new revelation Tony swelled up in pride once more. I walked ahead of him and could practically feel his eyes as he smirked, staring down at my butt as I walked away from him. Pausing I turned to grin at him and Tony quickly dashed after me into the elevator. Standing along the wall we waited until the doors closed before speaking.

"What would you rate mine as?" I questioned curiously. Tony let out a low whistle.

"Out of 5?...a 10." He told me smugly. I chuckled and shook my head.

"You're trying to sweet talk me for tonight aren't you?" I mused knowingly.

"That depends…..is it working?" he asked, shooting me a crooked grin. I hummed in contemplation.

"We'll see." I told him vaguely.


	43. Chapter 43

[From Frame Up] 

...

 **Tony's POV:**

In interrogation, this Sacks dude was staring at me from across the desk. It was weird being on the other end of this conversation for once. _Stall, Gibbs said to stall so I should have fun with this one._

"Where were you Tuesday night between 0900 and 0300 the next morning?" Sacks asked with a stern glare. I licked my lips and stared up at the ceiling, humming in deep thought. _I had a laid back date night with Claire. Not hard to forget about that one._

"Umm..." I had my face scrunching up obnoxiously as I killed time.

"would that be Zulu time?" I asked curiously. Sacks stared at me bewildered. _This is obviously his first time working with NCIS. My charms in tense situations are infamous._

"Just run through your night." He sighed, shaking his head.

"Ok…" I nodded and stared upwards again, nodding my head as I ran through it. _Claire and I finished work, went for a run together. Man those running leggings were hot. She must have done it on purpose too, knowing that she was much faster than I was so I could just stare at it._ As I reminisced in my head silently, I let out a couple smirks and huffs of amusement. Sacks closed his eyes in annoyance.

"Oh, out loud?" I 'realized'. I grinned before calmly beginning.

"Worked till 7. Went for a run. Drove home. Spent the night alone which….I know,…is unusual but it was a school night and I wanted to watch Magnum." I smiled easily at the FBI agent before me. _Ok so I altered it a bit. I did go for a run and I did spend the night alone this time. Claire had a call with Devon planned so she wanted to be back home in time to take it. And without her company I decided to watch one of my favorite shows….because I wanted to….not because I needed comfort because I missed her._ Sacks eyed me curiously.

"What was it about?" he asked. I chuckled and nodded my head approvingly.

"Aha, the old checking the plot ploy." I mused, annoying Sacks once more.

"You're good Agent Sacks, very good." I complimented and paused before diving into the plot of the show.

"It's my favorite Magnum, the one where he finds himself adrift at sea after a boating accident and vividly relives his father's death during the Korean war." I answered. Sacks sneered at me. In return I simply grinned and blinked innocently. Sacks quirked his head and sighed.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here. You think you were framed." He drawled as I leaned my head on one of my hands. I pointed at him.

"Now we're getting somewhere." I mused.

"And who did you think it was who framed you?" Sacks asked. I groaned thoughtfully.

"Well….anyone of 100 people? Maybe." I pointed out, lifting up my hands in an 'I have no idea' gesture. _He did realize I put people behind bars for a living right?_

"I have a list if you're interested." Tony explained casually.

"Do you realize the kind of trouble you're in here DiNozzo?" Sacks asked in disgust at my nonchalantness. I smacked my lips and stared at the man seriously.

"Oh believe me, I do." I assured. I knew I was in deep trouble. I had been in this line of work for years and I knew how evidence worked. The odds were not in my favor. Having enough of this conversation I then scooted forward and leaned over the table childishly to stare at the man.

"Do you realize that you have an enormous clump of something green between your teeth? Right here." I pointed to my own teeth as a reference as I stared at the man. Sack glowered but sucked on his teeth subconsciously. Seeing that I wasn't getting anywhere I then lifted up a leg and perched it on the table in front of me. Sacks crossed his arms and stared at me incredulously.

"What is it about women?" I began as I peered at my shoe.

"Is it the way they smell or the beguiling smiles, the whispers, the secrets." I mused in deep thought, y mind drifting towards one specific woman that I knew was working her butt off to prove my innocence. Sacks was struggling not to snap at me as he grimaced and fidgeted in silence as I droned on.

"Or is the way they tiptoe around in those little articulate shoes? The way they fit their tiny little bodies into those tiny little outfits." I trailed off staring into the distance wistfully. _Claire always manages to run in those high heeled shoes, and when she wears skirts I swear I have a heart attack or something._

"You're wasting my time." Sacks growled before storming out of the room. The moment he left I pulled my leg back down and sobered up. With a sigh, I stared at the mirror and straightened my suit jacket, not letting my mind wander to the worst case scenarios.


	44. Chapter 44

[From Frame Up] 

...

Tony's POV:

Claire and I were busy making phone calls as Ziva and McGee were over….doing something. She was standing behind him, reading off numbers as McTyper typed away at his computer.

"For a Caucasian female, a factor of 2.90 is multiplied by the tibia length." Ziva read off from behind McGee who was manning the computer.

"Ok autopsy report says the tibia is 38.34 centimeters." McGee mumbled.

"What are you doing?" I asked, staring over at them curiously.

"We are calculating our Jane Doe's probable height and weight." he explained distractedly. I frowned. Why were they making all this complicated.

"Why didn't you ask me?" I suggested easily.

"Tony, these are complex equations we're dealing with." Ziva dismissed condescendingly.

"Whatever, so she's like 5'8" so she's 120-126 pounds." I answered easily before getting back to my phone call. McGee stared at me as if I had grown a second head as Ziva scoffed. Shaking off the idea McGee got back to work. I shot Claire a knowing look and she smirked. _My beautiful live in model of the general proportions of this Jane Doe. If the look of our mystery woman's legs are anything to go by._ Continuing on, the two finished listing off measurements to put into the equations. As McGee pushed enter the two froze at the readings from the equations.

"5'8" " Ziva droned in shock.

"125.5 lbs." McGee added in the same tone. They both slowly turned to stare at me who nodded with a smile.

"How could you possibly know that just by her legs?" McGee asked in shock.

"Well I am….." I choked on my sentence… _currently dating someone of that height so I know very well all the dimensions associated with the type. Yea that would go over well._ I looked over at Claire for a split second, taking in her widened eyes. Thinking fast, I rethought my sentence.

"…..familiar with the type." I told them instead, smiling to keep up the façade. Ziva rolled her eyes, taking it the way I had intended. I let out a breath I had apparently been holding and glanced over at Claire once they were distracted. She let out a nervous breath too. _Phew…..dodged that bullet._


	45. Chapter 45

[From Frame Up]

...

 **3** **rd** **Person POV:**

Down in lockup Gibbs and Claire walked towards the cell with a box of Tony's favorite pizza in hand. When they reached their destination, Claire slid it through the bars. Tony looked up and grinned at the sight of his girlfriend and pizza. His suit jacket and tie were forgotten and his sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows.

"I smelled you coming." Tony joked as he eagerly lept up to grab the pizza. He paused and stared at them quizzically.

"Pepperoni, sausage…extra cheese right?" his eyes lit up as he stared at the box, without even opening it. Gibbs smirked in amusement.

"My favorite." Tony commented as he stared at the box.

"Thanks." He sighed and tossed the box onto the cot in the cell, suddenly not hungry as he paced around. Claire frowned as she observed his face, spotting the bags under his eyes. He must have been awake all night, torturing himself with worse case scenarios. Her heart hurt as he paced the front of the cell like a caged animal.

"I'll save that for later." He explained at her confused expression, running a hand across his lip nervously.

"You know I've been thinking. I'm a federal prosecutor's dream." He explained to Gibbs who stood there silently. The two watched, knowing that he would be going on one of his rants. He needed to get all of this off his chest. Tony turned to face an imaginary figure of himself as he played out how it would go.

 ** _** "You do tend to date a lot don't you Mr. DiNozzo?" he began, playing the prosecutor. Against the wall of his cell another 'Tony' chuckled defensively._**

 ** _"Yea…I do 'tend' to date a lot. But what's to say that dating a new girl every week is a crime?" he asked, looking around with his hands out._**

 ** _"Well it's not. But it does speak to your deep seeded psychological problems and…commitment issues." He countered, glancing back at Claire knowingly._**

 ** _"So you're saying my….intimacy issues stem from my mother? Who dressed me as a sailor until I was 10 years old?!" he asked bitterly, in the typical obnoxious way but a bit more psychotic._**

 ** _"Maybe." He spat out. The real Tony shared a withering look with Gibbs across the bars of his cell. He cleared his throat before talking and pacing once more._**

 ** _"Well it might explain why you objectify women as sexual objects. While you're being so forthright and insightful Mr. DiNozzo…why did you sink your teeth into the victims leg?" he asked seriously, glancing back at the other two who remained silent. 'Tony' sighed, leaning his head against the wall._**

 ** _"Because I'm angry, and I'm immature, and I like control!" he growled out animatedly the crazed grin never leaving his face._**

 ** _"You have no alibi." Prosecutor Tony droned calmly. 'Tony' chuckled humorlessly._**

 ** _"Alibi…" he chuckled tiredly._**

 ** _"How could I have an alibi when the murder doesn't even have a time or a date!" 'Tony' spat out in defense. Real Tony glanced back at Gibbs as he thought._**

 ** _"That's interesting. What about means? Latex glove, scalpel…..you could have gotten these things from work. No?" he asked, raising his brows expectantly. 'Tony' growled._**

 ** _"Right…of course." He chuckled bitterly once more._**

 ** _"I ripped a glove at the scene. Seems a little sloppy for a federal agent who investigates crime scenes…BUT you know those are the breaks when you're a homicidal maniac bringing butchered women's remains out in the woods in the middle of the night! Right?!" he shouted back at himself. Tony breathed heavily from getting himself worked up. **_**

Gibbs stared as the real Tony took his mental copy's spot against the wall, breathing heavily as the reality of his fate weighed heavily on him.

"I'm not getting out of this one am I boss?" he asked quietly. Gibbs stared at him quietly and reached a hand through the bars to gesture for him to come forward. Tony swallowed and slowly walked over. Once he was close enough Gibbs reached up and slapped him on the back of his head.

"Thank you, boss." Tony nodded sincerely. That small gesture let him know that everything would be ok. Gibbs wasn't done with this yet and as long as he acted normal then Tony knew it would be ok. Gibbs nodded at him with a small grin. He tapped Tony's chin in encouragement before walking back down the hall, leaving him and Claire alone. Tony sighed, clenching his eyes shut as he pressed his forehead against the bars. He was brought out of his wallowing when a gentle hand was placed on his cheek through the bars. Tony looked up at her with sad eyes.

"You're not a homicidal maniac Tony. You've got some issues but nothing to this extreme. It hurts that you keep thinking so lowly of yourself." She mused, staring at him seriously. It broke her heart to hear how Tony ranted about his insecurities and downfalls in his monologue a moment ago. Tony grinned wryly.

"Tony, you know if you need me as a reference for an alibi or something…"

"No, I'm not dragging you down with me." He immediately countered. Claire sighed.

"But if talking about our relationship will help you…" she trailed off but stopped at his serious expression.

"Ok, but don't worry. Everything will work out." she insisted, running her thumb along his cheek. Tony smiled at her sincerity. It made him feel a bit lighter knowing how sure she was.

"No you be a good little convict and eat your pizza and sleep." She scolded jokingly. Tony chuckled. They stared at one another for a few more seconds before leaning in to share a brief kiss through the bars.

"I have to get back to work." She muttered in a whisper after they parted. Tony nodded. With one final smile Claire made her way out to meet Gibbs. Tony sighed and ran a hand down his head and neck before perching himself on the cot and digging into the pizza.


	46. Chapter 46

[From Frame Up]

...

 **3rd Person POV:**

Abby was on the phone with the lab.

"All I'm saying is you might want to warn the person that actually made the mistake that got Stewart fired." She insisted. Just as the man responded the line went dead.

"Hello?" she called in confusion. A deranged chuckle broke her from her thoughts. The two girls looked up to spot Chip laughing quietly, spinning around a large hunting knife. Claire reached for her gun and mentally cursed, realizing it was in her desk drawer upstairs.

"It looks like we lost our connection." He joked.

"It was you." Abby growled and stood up. As she did Chip held out the knife towards her and Claire stepped in between the two.

"You worked at Pemperton Medical Analysis." Claire realized.

"Until I got fired." He growled, still holding the knife out.

"You took this job just to set up Tony." Abby glared. He nodded and pursed his lips.

"Yup…..and I did a pretty good job at it didn't it? Didn't it?" he questioned shakily as he took a step towards them. Claire growled. Chip mentally flashed back to all the evidence he gathered to frame him up. The apple Tony had chomped on and tossed in the trash. The tissues from when Tony got beat up undercover. When Tony threw away his gloves into the lab trashcan. Gathering fibers from Tony's mustang. He blinked as he glared back at Claire.

"I figured I might get a perk out of it too. But you kept pining over Tony the whole time. Even when he was an idiot!" Chip glowered at the agent. Claire rose a brow, realizing now what the odd look he had been giving her this whole time.

"I do not pine." She countered.

"Shut up!" he shouted, cutting her off. Claire began flexing her fingers, prepping for a fight as Chip's breaking point neared.

"What does Tony have that I don't have?! Huh?" he shouted manically.

"Well for one he's sane." She quipped, causing Chip to bristle.

"He's just going to move onto another whore you know." He taunted. Claire glared at him.

"I'm really going to enjoy kicking your ass." She threatened. Chip just laughed.

"You know I thought a fair trade would be taking down those two idiots who got me fired!" he growled, admitting to framing both George and Tony.

"But you two couldn't leave well enough alone could you!" he sneered, jutting the knife at them.

"Could you!" he growled at he lunged forward. Claire immediately grabbed his arm, locking his elbows as she tried to pry it from his grasp. Chip growled animalisticaly and threw her back into Abby who was a trying to get around them. Abby scrambled over towards her office, hoping to reach the phone. Chip picked his knife back up and lunged, but Claire caught him before he could reach her. Whipping around he swiped at her, Claire flinching back as she could feel it pierce her skin.

...

Unaware as to what was going on, Ziva and Ducky were laughing at Tony's desk. Suddenly Gibbs turned to a picture and instantly bolted down to the elevators.

"Jethro?" Jenny questioned as the rest of the team sprinted after him without question. She glanced down to see a picture of Chip on the stand.

...

Gibbs raced into autopsy his gun at the ready.

"Abby? Claire?!" he called, the others following behind. They looked around to see that her lab had been trashed, vials shattered and her Caf-pow splattered all over the floor, the color mingling with what was definitely blood. Tony's blood ran cold as he spotted Abby hunched over Claire who was on the ground, red splattering around her. Looking all disheveled Abby spun around to face them tiredly, revealing a very awake Claire. Tony rushed over towards them, not thinking about the others and he sat down next to Claire who smiled up tiredly. He scanned her over, finding a couple bruises and a slice on her hand but over all just fine.

"You ok?" he muttered lowly, his eyes widening in panic as to why she was on the floor. Claire nodded.

"Yea, blow to the head. Not a concussion so I'll be just fine in a couple minutes." She explained. Letting out a breath he nodded back at Gibbs. Abby pointed towards an enraged and tied up Chip she sighed, looking at the director who had just walked in.

"Now can I work alone." She asked pointedly. They all remained silent as they stared at the writhing and shouting Chip on the floor. Tony rose a brow and looked down at the girl on the floor.

"Welcome back." She weakly smiled.


	47. Chapter 47

[From Boxed In] 

...

"Ok first of all, this is not my fault. Second of all, I like dark, tight spaces" I mused, standing behind her. Strangely enough it brought back memories of my bedroom when I was a kid…..among other things like that one time in college with Claire. That for sure takes top 5 reasons for my like of dark spaces.

 _ **Flashback:**_

 _Tony had brought Claire along with him to one of the many parties that he had been invited to. This time however, Claire was Tony's plus one and no one at the party knew her. Usually they would be invited as a package deal except for this time. As the night wore on the crowd got tipsy with the alcohol raging throughout it. The few who were still sober enough to function decided to get a game going. Chuck, one of the hosts eyed Claire over by the bar talking with Tony when a thought struck him._

 _"Hey lets get a game going." He suggested, already plopping himself down on one of the sofas. A chorus of agreement was heard as other students gathered around the circle. The instigator looked up to spot Tony and Claire eyeing the group thoughtfully but not making a move._

 _"Hey Tony why don't you and your friend come join us." Chuck insisted. Tony eyed him warily, not trusting what the man's intentions where by how he was eyeing Claire but finally agreed when Claire started tugging him along. He found a spot right next to her, close enough where she wouldn't notice his protective stance but the other boys in the circle would._

 _"What kind of game?" He inquired once they were all settled. Chuck chuckled deviously._

 _"7 minutes in heaven." He announced, getting a mixture of responses._

 _"What are we 15?" Claire asked incredulously, amused that he would actually be suggesting it. Chuck grinned at her._

 _"No but I just thought will all this alcohol and sexual tension going on here it would make things interesting. And you're friends with Tony, I'm surprised you aren't used to him doing this stuff all the time." He joked. Tony chuckled obnoxiously, shooting Chuck an unamused glare. With that he started handing out pieces of paper for them to write their names on. Once everyone's names were sorted the drawing began. A couple rounds went by and neither Tony or Claire had been picked yet. For this next round Chuck came back from his turn, a bit put out that it wasn't Claire as he had hoped for. When the bowl came to Tony he eagerly put his hand in and shuffled the papers around dramatically, shooting winks at the other girls in the circle. As he finally drew one out and looked down at the handwriting his heart jumped. Frowning at his frozen expression Claire leaned over to peer down at the paper and her brows shot up. It was her name. She was supposed to be going into a dark and….well used…..closet with Tony. The boy beside Tony decided to find out what was going on since the two were speechless._

 _"Alright Tony and Claire, you lucky dog!" he shouted drunkenly, tapping Tony on the shoulder in appreciation. A round of shouts and cheers was heard as the two dazed friends were practically dragged over and shoved into the closet. Once the door was shut and they were plunged into darkness they finally broke out of their panicked trances. Tony coughed awkwardly as he could feel the heat from the other couple's previous romp in the room. That paired with how close Claire was to him was driving him insane. He still hadn't been able to get over his crush just yet and this situation was not helping anything. Claire was in a similar situation as she was just as attracted to him as he was to her. Claire shifted on her feet, creating a friction between their bodies and Tony's eyes widened in alarm. He clenched his eyes shut tightly, hoping that she couldn't feel anything stiffening up. That would be an awkward conversation._

 _"So…" She began, desperately wanting him to say something…anything._

 _"So…..we should probably do something." Tony started off awkwardly._

 _"What? Are you suggesting we…" she asked him in alarm. Was this really how he wanted it to go? Tony stuttered._

 _"W…Not necessarily. I just meant I have a reputation to uphold and you know…" he chuckled nervously. Claire nodded. This made more sense._

 _"So you're proposing that we fake it…..to make it look like something actually happened. Cause god forbid you tarnish your womanizing reputation." She snorted, hoping he didn't pick up on her disheartened tone. Tony smiled as he scratched the back of his neck._

 _"No I can't have that. And this could be fun. I mean you have to admit I'm much better than Chuck or some other knucklehead out there." He pointed out. Claire grinned to herself._

 _"Yes I can admit that." She told him quietly, not able to see the proud grin that graced his face. They stood there in silence for a moment longer, unsure of how to begin._

 _"You need some help getting started there Romeo?" Claire jeered, easing the tension growing between them. Tony chuckled and grabbed her face, bringing it closer to his own. Her eyes widened and she swallowed thickly._

 _"What are you doing?" she asked him breathlessly. Tony paused at the feeling of her so close to him._

 _"Just getting your hair all messed up. This is normally what I would do anyway if we were actually going through with this." He whispered, trying to keep his emotions in check. Claire nodded._

 _"Good idea." she agreed quickly. She began reaching for his shirt, pulling it out and unbuttoning a couple buttons. Playing along Tony ran his hands along her body, getting her clothes all mused up. They both went at it, making noises which caused them to giggle at how silly they were acting. All the while they enjoyed taking advantage of the situation to have their hands on one another in a more romantic sense. Finally after a few moments of activity they slowed to a stop, still breathing heavily from the fun they were having goofing off with one another. Tony sighed and held her by the shoulders. He could finally make her out in the darkness and he gulped at how sexy she looked. He had done this for real with so many girls but this time it felt more….real….intense….blissful. He watched her intently as Claire leaned in to hover over his lips, glancing down at them. Taking the plunge she leaned in and pressed a good soft kiss to his lips. Tony's eyes fluttered shut as he took in their first and possibly only kiss. Breaking away he stared down at her, taking in everything he could before this moment would come to an abrupt end._

 _"What was that for?" he asked quietly. Claire cleared her throat, pulling back as far as she could in the space._

 _"I just thought you should have some of my lipstick on you." She explained tensely. That was part of the reason._

 _"Good idea." he muttered lowly, not as pleased with her reasoning as he wanted to be. Tony opened his mouth to say something but he was cut off by the door flying open, instantly blinding the two of them. Chuck groaned._

 _"Aw come on I wanted to catch you naked!" he pouted, obviously having more to drink than before. Tony glared and shoved past him, tugging Claire along behind him. The rest of the night, Tony couldn't help but think back to their time in the small dark closet._


	48. Chapter 48

[From Boxed In] 

...

 **3** **rd** **Person POV**

In the crate Ziva coughed as Tony swept the ashes from the failed smoke attempt aside.

"Definitely your worst idea yet." She growled.

"No, my worse idea was challenging a date to an oyster eating contest." Tony countered thoughtfully.

...

 _ **Flashback:**_

 _Just last month Tony had taken Claire out to a restaurant out of the city, that way no one they knew would see them. That and he liked to spoil her on occasion and this was one of those times. He had taken her to a restaurant near the beach, thus they were dressed more casually. Tony didn't mind however as he liked it better when they were laid back, it felt normal to be with her like that. As they were gazing over their menus a specific add caught his eye._

 _"Hey there's an all you can eat oyster special today. I think we should get some." He pointed out casually, shooting a sly glance in her direction. Claire pursed her lips._

 _"I don't know…." She hummed._

 _"Well I hear they are great for your health." He tried again. Claire frowned and stared at him curiously._

 _"You're not interested in eating healthy." She deadpanned. Tony stared at her in mock offense._

 _"That hurts. Of course I care about…..health." he countered lamely. Claire grinned at him._

 _"You just found out they were an aphrodisiac, didn't you?" she asked knowingly. Tony had the decency to blush._

 _"That…wh….no.." he dismissed with a scoff. Claire didn't buy it._

 _"I see what this is all about." She giggled._

 _"So, does that mean you're up to the task? I mean I'm a very virile specimen so it would take a lot of oysters to keep up." He teased lowly. Claire bit the inside of her cheek._

 _"I beg to differ. Besides we both know that I can put food away better than you can so I guess you'll be the one bailing out first tonight." Claire slyly slipped her foot out of her sandal and began running her toes along the inside of his thigh under the table. Tony jumped but chuckled at her teasing._

 _"Don't start what you can't finish." He purred, leaning towards her with his menu now forgotten._

 _"Funny that was what I was going to say to you." She grinned devilishly. The waiter sidled up to their table, asking for their orders._

 _"Two of the oyster specials please." Claire chirped, as if nothing had happened. Tony was not as composed so he remained silent. All the teasing was starting to get to his head and they hadn't even touched the oysters yet. However, as they were both fairly competitive the night did not end as they anticipated. By the time, they arrived home from the restaurant, both were way to full to do anything other than lie on the couch. They both got a laugh out of the evening and just remained cuddled up on the couch, sleeping off their food babies._


	49. Chapter 49

[From Boxed In]

...

 **3** **rd** **Person POV:**

That night Claire was lying in her room, reading over one of the books by the light of her lamp. Tony slowly creaked the door open and she looked up. Tony grinned over at her. He always enjoyed the quiet evenings, where they didn't feel the need to dress up. Finding her in her athletic tank and shorts that she wore to bed, always got his heart racing.

"Hey, how was dinner?" she asked, smiling softly at him, putting her book aside. Tony slowly made his way over to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Pretty well actually, Ziva makes some mean Italian…..not quite authentic but good enough." He grinned. Claire shook her head at him, knowing he would never want to give a full on compliment to Ziva. Heaven forbit they get along.

"She also asked me about my girlfriend….." he trailed off. Claire sat up straighter, propping herself on her arm so she was closer to him.

"How did she know you have a girlfriend?" she questioned curiosly. Tony rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"I smelled fruity." He admitted. Claire snorted out a laugh before reigning it back in at his expression.

"What?" she asked with a giggle.

"You know how I just use your shampoo when I stay over. Well apparently, it's been making me smell all girly and she picked up on it." He explained. Claire nodded in understanding.

"Is this you telling me that I need to start smelling like a man?" she inquired cheekily. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Nah…..maybe I could just leave some of my shampoo here in your bathroom…." He suggested, shooting a timid glance her direction. Claire nodded thoughtfully.

"That would be ok…..and I could do the same at your apartment if that's ok. And while we're at it we could….you know drop of some work clothes and stuff just in case…." She told him quietly. Tony grinned over at her.

"I think I'd like that." He admitted softly. Claire grinned and leaned forward to press a kiss to his lips. She knew he wasn't ready for any type of commitment. This was just slowly easing him into a steady relationship and Tony was more than thankful for how considerate she was being. Sometimes it scared him how well she understood him.

"Ok big baby, get over here so I can start pampering you." Claire suggested, beaming at him.

"Fine by me; I'll make up for your actions at the office." He pouted but slowly made his way up into the bed with her.


	50. Chapter 50

[From Deception]

...

 **3rd Person POV:**

At Wilkerson's house the three agents stood outside patently. Tony rang the doorbell.

"It's clear she isn't home, what's our plan?" Ziva asked dryly.

"Use good old fashion American ingenuity." Tony answered, digging his hands into the pocket of his letterman jacket that Claire had returned. However, Tony knew that once Ziva was out of their hair she would steal it right back. He swelled with pride knowing that she took comfort in wearing his clothes, not to mention it made her look even hotter to him. Ziva eyed him curiously.

"Good plan….except I'm not American, Tony." She deadpanned.

"Well lucky for you I am. We start looking for the key." He announced, leaning down to lift up the mat before the door. Claire stared at him in amusement.

"Why would there be a key?" Ziva inquired.

"Because they always hide one. It's stupid I know but it's what they do." Tony shrugged. As he moved on to check the nearby plants Claire shot Ziva a look before stealthily pulling out a bobby pin from her hair and went to work on the deadbolt. Ziva grinned in approval. Claire's way was much more her st,Clyle.

"And you're certain there's no alarm?" Ziva inquired, watching Claire work.

"Positive, no sign means no alarm. But there's always a key." Tony flourished the key he had found in her direction.

"You may want to write that down." Tony teased but before he could continue the lock clicked and Claire pushed the door open easily. She grinned at the two of them.

"Ziva why don't you go interview neighbors, see if anyone saw anything." Tony instructed, his eye locked on Claire as she leaned against the doorway in triumph. Ziva rolled her eyes at the two and went off to do as she was told.

"After you." Claire gestured to the open door, looking up at him smugly. Tony stared at her unamused before walking in and pulling out his gun to sweep the house. She quietly shut the door as they split up to search the house. Quickly making their way through the up and down stairs, they checked every room. Once finished Claire met up with him in the living room.

"Clear." She told him.

"Clear." Tony agreed, the two putting their weapons away.

"Very OCD." Tony mused as he glanced around the immaculately organized living room.

"OCD?" Claire asked casually as she pulled on her gloves.

"Yea, our Lieutenant." He elaborated, looking over the decorations.

"Are you saying she's a neat freak?" she mused.

"Yea, nice job with the lock by the way." Tony told her, slipping on his own gloves.

"Thank you, it was a very simple twin tumbler design." She told him with a grin.

"Ao are handcuffs but I bet you couldn't get out of a pair of those." Tony countered teasingly. Claire walked over to join him by the fireplace.

"Are you saying you'd like to handcuff me, Tony?" she asked, lowly, looking over at him coyly. Tony suppressed a shiver that shot up his spine.

"It's not really my thing." he dismissed.

"I see." She mused and slipped over to stare up at him intently.

"You're the one that likes to handcuffed then huh?" Claire grinned wickedly, gazing over his form. Tony eyed her with a dark smirk but didn't contradict her.

"Good to know." She hummed. Tony took in a deep breath to steel himself…..he was working….he wass working…..Tony snapped on his glove dramatically.

"Spread out." he told her trying to get back to seriousness. Claire grinned knowingly as her eyes followed him.

"What are we looking for exactly?" she asked with a light chuckle at his attempt to keep composure. It wasn't often that she got the chance to push his restraint while they were working and she loved every minute of it.

"Anything that looks out of place." He answered, leading her into the office.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific." She pointed out.

"We're looking for reason someone would want to kidnap our naval officer." Tony told her in a 'duh' voice.

"Preferably before Gibbs asks us for it." he added distractedly as he spotted a laptop on the lieutenant's desk. He leaned forward and turned the machine on before plopping down and attempting to crack the password. He frowned in frustration as his attempts were fruitless.

"Houdini?" he called in a pout. Claire hummed in acknowledgement as she riffled through some papers beside him.

"How are you at picking computer locks?" he mused tiredly.

"Having performance issues?" she teased. Tony shot her a glare, earning a giggle from her at how testy he was about the 'innocent' comment.

"Not very good. Why did you find something interesting?" she asked seriously. The soft sound of creaking got Tony's attention and he turned around to see what it was. As he did the man rolled his eyes and slowly raised his hands in surrender. Claire took no notice as she continued her search.

"Tony, did you find something interesting?" she asked again when he didn't answer. Again Claire rolled her eyes.

"Tony?..." she droned in annoyance.

"Hands over your heads!" a nervous but stern voice shouted from behind her. Claire turned around curiously.

"Now! You too lady." The large security cop insisted, holding up a gun towards them with shaky hands. Tony glanced towards her tiredly, clearly used to this mix up. Claire sighed and threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Make any sudden moves and I shoot. Do we understand each other?" the man asked pointedly. Tony snickered.

"Ok, relax quickdraw we're feds." Tony told the man easily.

"Yea? What agency." The cop inquired snappishly, obviously not believing them. Tony opened his mouth to answer.

"NCIS." Claire answered, cutting Tony off.

"Never heard of it." The man dismissed. Claire rolled her eyes.

"Its Naval Criminal Investigative Service." she answered tiredly, once more cutting Tony off.

"Never. Heard. Of. It." the man pressed. Tony tilted his head to look up at Claire in amusement.

"You never actually get used to it. You think you will, but you never do." he told her with a shrug.

"Ok, I have a badge…" Tony began to stand up but the man quickly stuttered out protest.

"Sit down." He ordered. He pulled out some handcuffs before tossing them to Claire.

"Cuff yourself to him." he instructed. Claire scoffed while Tony laughed.

"I'd rather you shoot me first." She deadpanned.

"Cuff yourself dirt bag." The man insisted with a growl. Tony grinned as Claire's mouth dropped in shock. Reluctantly did as he asked, fuming silently the whole time. Claire snapped the cuffs tightly around Tony's wrist, earning a whine of pain. The guard tossed another pair to Tony who caught it easily with his free hand.

"Now, you cuff yourself the chair." The guard instructed. Tony chuckled in disbelief at what he was hearing and looked to Claire. She shrugged with a grin and gestured for him to continue. Tony leaned over and cuffed himself to the leg of the chair. This left him in a hunched over position.

"You're making a big mistake." Tony warned in a sing song voice.

"Yea, like you did setting off the alarm?" the man quipped. Claire let out a 'ha' in triumph.

"There's supposed to be a sign outside. There's supposed to be a sign outside!" Tony huffed in annoyance as he tried to justify himself. Claire nudged him.

"Kid probably stole it." The guard shrugged. Tony tried to straighten up in the chair but he man shouted at him to remain still.

"This is so umcomfortable." He pouted. Claire smirked.

"Your fault for cuffing it to the leg dummy." She quipped. Tony huffed but sat down anyway, pouting at his uncomfortable position. With one hand the guard reached down for his walkie while keeping his gun trained on them. He took a few shuffled steps towards them as he called in.

"Central, we got two suspects claiming to be feds." He spoke into the device. They paused in silence when he realized there was no feedback or noise. The man glanced down at it in embarrassment.

"No little red light on the radio means the radio not working." Tony explained with a baby voice. Claire snickered under her breath. The man huffed and fiddled with the controls and buttons, taking his eyes off the agents as he did. Claire took the opportunity and began unlocking the cuffs. Tony felt her jerking on their conjoined hands but couldn't see what she was doing exactly.

"Will you please calm down; this guy is a little jumpy and aggressive so just relax." Tony told her calmly. Claire nodded easily.

"So, no sudden moves alright?" Tony insisted, looking up at her. She hummed in agreement before swinging her leg up to knock the gun out of the guard's hands. In one swift motion she had him pinned to the floor with her gun pressed against his chest while the man blubbered like a baby for her not to shoot. Tony held up his cuffed hand with wide eyes, wondering when and how she managed to escape the cuffs.

"Don't shoot." The man pleaded.

"Nobody's going to shoot anyone. Right Claire?" Tony rested his elbow on his knee and leaned his head against his hand in the chair, shooting Claire a pointed look.

"He called me a dirt bag." She argued, glaring at the man.

"I'm sorry ma'am." The guard sniffled.

"Ma'am?" Claire shouted in offence. Tony groaned and facepalmed at the guard's blunder. Now he was in for it.


	51. Chapter 51

[From Deception]

...

"Come along my little submissive." Claire growled, loud enough for him to hear and followed after Ziva. Tony groaned lowly, getting turned on by this frisky streak in Claire.

"She's gonna be the death of me." He muttered under his breath before finally opening the door, thinking back to the little bet they started this morning that brought on Claire's actions.

...

 _Earlier that morning:_

 _Claire hummed in contentment as she lazily drew circles along Tony's glistening chest, feeling the rise and fall of it as he breathed heavily. The two of them had taken advantage of the time off work they had been given. Tony grinned as he ran a hand up her bare back, enjoying the small shiver he sent through her. He growled playfully and ducked his head to capture her lips in a searing kiss. Claire smiled up at him as she slowly pulled away, pecking his lips twice more before fully pulling her head back to look at him._

 _"I think you're trying to start something you can't finish." She chuckled. Tony rose a brow challengingly and tightened his hold on her._

 _"I think I can finish just fine, thank you." He countered, maneuvering his legs to intertwine with hers. Claire bit her lip at the length of flesh that had hardened against her thigh. She giggled as he went in for another kiss, taking his time in enjoying the feel of her lips on his._

 _"You have no restraint." She told him lightly, shifting so she straddled his body. Tony paused the kiss and looked up at her oddly._

 _"I have restraint." He pouted. Claire stared at him in surprise._

 _"Tony, you are like a loose cannon. The only reason you have energy to go to work is because I have the restraint for the both of us." She countered. Tony leaned up on his elbow, causing Claire to sit back on his lap, the blanket falling down to her hips. Tony's eyes flickered down for a moment before shooting back up to her face._

 _"That's so not true. Who's the one that always initiates our romps?" he pointed out._

 _"You" they both chuckled at the same time but frowned when they realized what just happened._

 _"Ok, I have a suggestion to settle it. How about a bet?" Claire proposed, running her hands along his chest hair with a grin. Tony rose a brow, intrigued._

 _"I'm listening" he urged._

 _"How about we go for as long as we can without being intimate. The first one to break, loses." She explained. Tony bit the inside of his cheek in thought._

 _"What's the consequence?" he inquired._

 _"100 bucks and bragging rights." She instantly answered. He bopped his head back and forth, considering her proposal._

 _"Ok, I'm in. But just so you know I don't like holding anything over you." Tony sing-songed smugly. Claire glared playfully at him._

 _"That's bull." She shot back with a giggled. Tony chuckled and sat up more so he could hold her in his arms._

 _"We should set some ground rules." Claire suggested, wrapping her arms around his neck casually._

 _"Ok, no nakedness." Tony suggested._

 _"You've seen me naked before…..are you just too weak willed to resist something that small?" she taunted. Tony cleared his throat, not liking her insinuations._

 _"Fine, naked is fine." he consented._

 _"No physical touch of our sweet spots." Claire hummed. Tony nodded in agreement._

 _"No kissing other than lips." Tony added on. She frowned but consented after he shot her a challenging stare._

 _"And for this to work, no sleeping together." Claire pointed out. Tony groaned._

 _"Not even with clothes on?" he asked pleadingly. She shook her head._

 _"Not even with clothes on, it cranks up the challenge a little bit." Tony sighed and leaned his head against her collarbone. The action suddenly reminded the two that they were currently naked and intertwined with one another in the bed. Both slowly looked up at one another and shared a questioning gaze._

 _"We can start right after this right?"_

 _"Agreed." Claire nodded instantly as she latched her lips onto his in hungry passion. Tony groaned as he flopped back into the bed, pulling Claire down with him._


	52. Chapter 52

[Winning a Bet] 

**3** **rd** **Person POV:**

Tony glanced up to watch the girl across the room from him. The one that had been driving him nuts all night and all morning….well for the past few days really. Two weeks…two weeks they had been at this stupid bet and he was close to cracking. He had begun questioning whether keeping this bet going was worth his sanity. Their competitiveness was well known and if left fueled long enough this deal could go on forever, and that would not end well. His inner turmoil was broken by the sound of platform boots trotting down the hallway. The team all looked up to spot Abby quickly rushing into the room.

"Hey Abs where's the fire?" Tony inquired. Instead of a usual perky response Tony received and odd look from Abby. Without another word the girl grabbed Claire by her wrist and yanked her over to the elevators. The team sat there in silence once more…..this time confused as to what just happened. But sometimes with Abby it was best not to ask.

...

Down in the lab, Claire was letting herself get dragged around the uncharacteristically silent Abby. Once they were in her desk area she was released.

"Is there a problem?" Claire inquired, watching her friend warily. Abby huffed and turned to face Claire, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Who is Tony's girlfriend?" she blurted out. Claire's eyes bulged.

"Wh….what?" she stuttered, thoroughly confused and worried about where this was going. Abby rolled her eyes.

"I know you of all people would have noticed how different he's been lately! This isn't normal for him, this is serious. Tony doesn't do serious." Abby explained with a stern expression. Claire chuckled.

"What makes you think it's a serious girlfriend?" she inquired, able to fall back into her normal demeanor now that she knew Abby wasn't on to her.

"Well he's less flirty with random women, he hasn't discussed conquests. Lately he hasn't been plan free, and he's just…..always calm…or like content." She rambled on, pacing tightly in her office. Claire suppressed a grin. Did he really change that much?

"What's wrong with that?" Claire asked casually. Abby eyed her.

"It's not, but aren't you worried about this? What if she's some psycho who is really looking to stab him in the back!" she cried dramatically. Claire's eyes rose comically.

"Abby calm down." She encouraged. Abby huffed again.

"Why aren't you bothered by this?! It's Tony we're talking about. I thought you liked him." Abby accused.

"I do, I just don't think we should be prying into his private life." Claire dismissed, feeling uncomfortable under Abby's stare.

"I still think we should do a background check on this person. I need to know for Tony's sake." Abby insisted. Claire smiled at her. Leave it to Abby to get all protective of Tony and his feelings.

"Abby.."

"Don't Abby me, aren't you concerned with his well being?" Abby shot back.

"Of course I am."

"Then say you'll help me find out who she is." Abby pleaded, smiling at her. Claire sighed and stared up at the ceiling. This was getting so complicated.

"Sure why not, I've got nothing better to do." She finally relented. Abby silently cheered before dragging her out into the lab space.

...

 **Abby has me finding your mystery girlfriend ;)** \- Tony stared down at the message on his cell with a frown. This could go in many directions and he wasn't sure how to take this.

 **Is that a problem?...** he quickly typed back, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed his lack of work. As he did he remembered that everyone was out of the office other than him. Tony shook his head wryly. This job had made him slightly paranoid.

 **Of course not, just expect some harassment when we find candidates.** She immediately answered. Tony groaned in his head. Of course, they would start badgering him for information. He was happy, shouldn't that be enough for his teammates? Suddenly an email alert popped up on his computer. Not recognizing the address he clicked on it warily. However what came up was beyond what he was expecting. If he had taken a sip of water surely he would have chocked at the picture. A firm figure clad only in sexy lingerie was cut off at the neck. Tony gulped heavily as he recognized that body easily and he could have sworn that it looked like his apartment bathroom in the background. He blinked hard as he gained his breath back and finally tore his eyes to look down at the caption underneath it.

 **-Just a little gift for when I'm not there-**

"Tony?!" a voice scolded from behind him. Tony shouted in alarm and frantically held his hands over the screen and whipped his head back to stare at the eavesdropper. He growled in annoyance as he saw McGee's wide eyed expression.

"A little privacy if you don't mind, McPeeper." He snarled defensively. McGee stared at him incredulously.

"Tony we're at work. This is no time to look at your porn." He scolded quietly. Tony stiffened up and glared at the man.

"That's not what she is." He countered sternly. Claire was not some object to be gawked at like a piece of meat. McGee's eyebrows rose at his tone.

"So the rumor is true? You have a girlfriend?" he asked curiously. Tony pursed his lips. Dang it.

"Maybe…either way its none of your business." Tony evaded, trying to quickly exit his email. McGee smirked and watched Tony carefully.

"And this is what you do all day? Sext like some horny teenagers." He asked, fully believing that Tony would go for that type of girl. Tony ran a hand through his hair, thinking through how to approach this.

"No she's actually very professional. We just have some stupid bet going…" Tony trailed off but paused as he stared at McGee thoughtfully. Tim fidgeted nervously under his gaze.

"How would you like to help me out?" Tony offered with a smirk. McGee frowned.

"Why would you want my help?" he asked warily. Tony asking for help was odd enough.

"I know you don't have hardly any experience with females but hypothetically….if you wanted your girlfriend to get all hot and bothered for you, what would you do?" he quickly asked. McGee rolled his eyes at the insult but pursed his lips in thought.

"I guess a grant romantic gesture would work." He offered with a shrug. Tony frowned in disappointment.

"Explain." He deadpanned. Tony knew TV romantic but Claire would catch onto that too quickly to be impressed. McGee shuffled on his feet, uncomfortable with this whole conversation.

"Like candles, dinner, serenade. You know mushy, romantic stuff." McGee elaborated. Tony hummed in thought and grinned.

"That might just work." He muttered and slapped McGee on the shoulder.

"Good work probie, I'll make a man out of you yet." Tony joked. McGee glowered.

"Oh and we won't tell anyone about the…" Tony gestured to his computer screen sheepishly. McGee sighed but nodded.

"No." he agreed before walking back over to his desk.

...

That night Claire knocked on his apartment door before brushing off the nonexistent dust from her dress. Tony's call from inside prompted her to open the door, only to be greeted with a strange yet welcoming sight. In the midst of a candle lighted room Tony stood there with his best dress suit on. Claire's jaw dropped as she stood in the doorway. He chuckled at her awestruck expression and slowly made his way over towards her. Taking her hand gently he tugged her inside, shutting the door behind her.

"Any special reason for all of this, and why you wanted me to dress up?" Claire asked curiously, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"Do I need a reason to spoil my beautiful girlfriend after a long day of work." He shrugged with a coy grin. She hummed, not buying it.

"You're trying to win brownie points and get me to crack aren't you?" she grinned. Tony grabbed his chest in mock hurt.

"You wound me." He whined pathetically. Claire laughed and grabbed both of his hands, using them to pull him into a deep kiss. As they broke apart Tony took a moment to compose himself.

"That's dirty." He groaned. Claire grinned but didn't protest.

"So is there anything you had in mind other than standing here looking sharp?" she questioned instead. Tony held up a hand as indication for her to wait and he dashed over towards his stereo. The slow sound of Boyz II Men and she grinned at him. Tony swiftly and gracefully pulled her into his arms and began to waltz her around the living room. As the voices came on she was shocked to hear Tony mumbling along with the lyrics just for her.

 _Close your eyes, make a wish._

 _And blow out the candlelight_

 _For tonight it's just your night_

 _We're gonna celebrate,_

 _All through the night._

Tony was secretly thankful for his rich upbringing as he never would have been able to sweep her off her feet, almost literally, as well as he seemed to be doing right now. As the song continued on he kept serenading her with his baritone voice.

 _Pour the wine, light the fire_

 _Girl your wish is my command_

 _I submit to your demands_

 _I will do anything,_

 _Girl you need only ask_

She grinned as he smoothly turned on his television to reveal a fake crackling fire as the part of the song came on. Claire just stared up at him in amazement as he continued singing, staring at only her as he did.

 _I'll make love to you_

 _Like you want me to_

 _And I'll hold you tight_

 _Baby all through the night_

 _I'll make love to you_

 _When you want me to_

 _And I will not let go_

 _Till you tell me to._

He grinned at her as he translated his honestly into his words and his eyes. He would do anything and everything for this girl. All she had to do was ask and he would be at her beck and call. She held so much power over him it was frightening.

 _Girl relax, let's go slow_

 _I ain't got nowhere to go_

 _I'm just gonna concentrate on you_

 _Girl are you ready?_

 _It's gonna be a long night_

He grinned teasingly as she bit her lip, more than happy to comply with what he was suggesting. She was becoming putty in his hands and she didn't mind one bit.

 _Throw your clothes on the floor_

 _I'm gonna take my clothes off too_

 _I made plans to be with you_

 _Girl whatever you ask me you know I can do_

Claire laughed out loud, throwing her head back as Tony jerked off his jacket along with the lyrics. He rose a brow questioningly and ran his hands along her sides as they continued to sway, lost in their own little world.

 _I'll make love to you_

 _Like you want me to_

 _And I'll hold you tight_

 _Baby all through the night_

 _I'll make love to you_

 _When you want me to_

 _And I will not let go_

 _Till you tell me to_

Tony was cut off as a pair of soft lips landed on his. He grinned and wrapped her tighter into his embrace as they swayed. Claire smiled up at him lovingly as the song continued, but faded into the background.

" That was something else." She whispered, the bright smile not leaving her face. Tony chuckled, not really caring about the bet right now. He was just happy his plan had gone beyond the desired effect. Props to McGee for the advice. Claire swooped in, pulling him by his tie so she could get a better angle of his lips. Tony smiled into the kiss.

"You wanna put those words into actions?" she grinned invitingly. Tony groaned happily as he pulled her figure tighter against him.

"You have no idea." he growled playfully. Claire giggled and began walking him backwards towards the bedroom.

"Does this mean I win?" Tony asked curiously, however whatever smug comment he was going to add died in his throat as he saw her unamused expression.

"Right I'll shut up now." He agreed to her silent request eagerly. With a smile he leaned in and took her into another breathtaking kiss, eager to make up for lost time with the beauty in his arms.

...

(Song: _I'll make love to you_ by Boyz II Men)


	53. Chapter 53

**[TBT] -just a fun idea i had to put into the story later on. Not sure where yet.**

 **...**...

Tony strode into Claire's home, sliding off his jacket as he did and slung his travel bag by the door. He smiled as the scent of homemade pasta wafted into the living room where he was currently standing.

"Tony?" he heard her call from the kitchen.

"Yea it's me babe. Is that Italian I smell?" he asked making his way to stand in the doorframe. He grinned as he leaned against the frame and just stared at her as she continued stirring sauces in the pans. Claire smiled over at him and shook her head.

"See something you like there buddy?" she teased.

"All the time." He told her instantly. Claire chuckled but Tony caught the slight blush that came across her cheeks. He sauntered in and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her on the cheek. Claire smiled as he remained in that position, just leaning his head on her shoulder as he watched her cook.

"You're the best." He told her, breathing in the tantalizing scents of the food.

"Oh I know." She quipped. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Mind if I wash up?" he asked her, already making his way out of the room.

"You know where it is." She told him as he disappeared around the corner. Tony made his way into her room to use her personal bathroom. Personally he liked that one better because it had her scent everywhere…..that and fluffier towels. Once his hands were clean he made his way through her room only to stumbled as his foot caught against a strap of her purse. He cursed silently and bent down to pick up the scattered items. As he did a box caught his eye. With a frown, he reached in and pulled it out, knowing it was wrong to snoop through her bag but he couldn't help it. However, as he read the label, he wished he had never looked. Then again maybe was glad?...The box of pregnancy tests stared back at him like a slap in the face. Was Claire pregnant? She couldn't be…they had always been careful and adamant about not wanting kids. At least not now, their jobs were too demanding and heck they never even talked about marriage. Would this mean Tony would have to marry her? Did they want it? Tony's mind was full of rampant thoughts just at the possibility of being a father. It had to be his right; stupid question Claire wouldn't do that. Tossing that one dark thought aside, he just sat there on the floor of her bedroom.

"Tony?" her voice brought him out of his stupor. Quickly tucking it back into her bag frantically he slowly made his way back into the kitchen. Entering the kitchen once more, Tony froze in the doorway and just stared at her blankly. Claire carried on like normal as she prepared 2 plates of pasta for them. Tony eyed her critically as she did, looking for any miniscule sign of pregnancy. Surely she would have told him right? Then again maybe she didn't want him to know, with his commitment issues and all. He wouldn't blame her if she did. Claire turned around and spotted Tony looking at her with a mildly terrified expression.

"What?" she asked him curiously, pausing in the middle of the room. Tony's eyes shot up to hers nervously and he cleared his throat.

"Nothing, just thinking." He shrugged, obviously lying. Claire rose a brow in confusion but didn't comment. She simply maneuvered to the fridge and pulled out a couple of beers. Immediately Tony's eyes widened comically and he shot forward, grabbing her hands in his.

"What are you doing?" he asked her in alarm. Claire stared at him warily.

"Getting drinks…." She answered slowly. Did he get a concussion that she didn't know about? Tony shook his head.

"No I don't think that's a good idea." he countered sternly. Claire tilted her head slightly, finding his behavior weird but going along with it.

"Ok….wine then?" she asked instead. Tony blocked her path to the glasses. This time Claire stared at him irritably, placing her hands on her hips.

"Tony?"

"Why don't we just have water. Water is healthy right?" he rambled, ushering her to sit at her small dining table. Without another word Tony sped off to grab some glasses full of water for them to drink.

"You hate drinking water." she muttered, not very worried about her boyfriend.

"But I can change, really can." He assured vehemently. As he told her this Tony stared at her attentively.

"Ok?..." she mumbled, watching him carefully.

"Are you trying to tell me something Tony, cause you can just say it." Claire prodded gently as he took his spot across from her.

"No I don't have anything….do you?" he asked curiously.

"No." she shook her head. It may have been a trick of the light but she could have sworn she saw him deflate a little at that statement. They sat there, picking at their food in silence before Tony finally spoke up.

"This is quite domestic isn't it?" he blurted out awkwardly. Claire coughed as she choked on the bit of water she had just swallowed. Where did that come from?! Tony frantically shot forward, patting her back to help her dispel the liquid. Once she could breathe easier he remained next to her, just rubbing her back gently. Claire turned to stare at him skeptically.

"Ok seriously what's wrong with you today?" she asked, attempting to feel his forehead. Maybe he had come down with some disease that caused him to lose his mind.

"Uh…..well I just want you to know that I am here for you with any big thing you'd like to tell me." He told her pointedly, however Claire had no idea what he was hinting at.

"Tony…"

"I saw the box ok? Why didn't you tell me you thought you were pregnant?" he blurted out suddenly. Claire's eyes widened dramatically before she burst into a fit of giggles. Tony eyed her.

"What's so funny?" he asked irritably. Claire cupped his face in her hands and smiled at him in amusement, the occasional giggle slipping out.

"Tony, I'm not pregnant." She assured him. Tony frowned.

"But I saw the box, and I know that I'm not the commitment type but if you're worried I would leave you to go solo I promise I won't do that! I know my father doesn't have a good track record but I can do better, I can change, you don't have to hide this from me…"

"Tony! Breathe." Claire cut him off firmly, watching as Tony took in deep breathes to prevent the panic attack that was bound to happen.

"I'm not pregnant. I picked those tests up for a friend who I'm meeting early tomorrow morning. She didn't have time to pick up her own and she wanted to know ASAP so she could tell her husband when he comes home from his business trip." Claire explained to him. Tony nodded and visibly sagged in relief.

"I'm sorry to have upset you. And all those things you said were sweet but don't worry. I'm not going to push you into anything." She assured. Tony grinned and kissed her. Claire squeaked in surprise at the force of it but soon grinned as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Once they pulled away Tony smiled at her.

"Sorry about my freak out there." He told her sheepishly. Claire chuckled.

"It's ok. I know we aren't ready for any children yet. We should probably work on getting married first." She joked with a grin of her own. Tony smiled at how easily she was able to make those assumptions. It was almost as if she fully expected their relationship to head in that direction. Tony didn't correct her but kissed her once or twice more, secretly thrilled with the ideas. He was not ready for any of that yet…..but it was comforting to know that she was ready when he was.


	54. Chapter 54

[From Hiatus 1] 

...

Claire walked through her house, hurriedly grabbing her bags and gun as she made her way towards the door. While she was distracted a hand reached from seemingly out of nowhere and yanked her into a small alcove by the door. Dropping her bags in surprise, she yelped and pulled her fist back to strike the attacker but a set of lips caused her to falter. Tony grinned devilishly as he pulled away from his girlfriend.

"Tony! I thought you had left for work already." She scolded, perfectly comfortable wrapped up in his arms. Tony's grin widened teasingly.

"I did but then I changed my mind and turned right back around. I never could resist a beautiful woman." He hummed, being sure to latch his arms tightly around her waist to prevent her from escaping. Claire chuckled and shook her head at him, an amused grin on her face. Noticing that she wasn't getting mad about his little stunt he quickly swooped in and began leaving a trail of burning kisses down her neck. Claire sighed blissfully and tilted her head to grant him better access. She lifted her arms up to wrap around his neck and caught a glimpse of the time on her watch. Her eyes widened in alarm and she tried to jerk out of his grasp but Tony simply tightened his hold, continuing his ministrations.

"Tony.." she whined, gently pushing against his chest.

"Tony you're gonna be late to work." She reminded, her mind becoming fuzzy from the tingling left on her neck where his lips once were. Tony hummed thoughtfully and leaned in to peck her lips.

"Well…why don't I…just say I went….with you to get…coffee." He suggested, planting an affectionate kiss on her lips throughout. Claire leaned in to deepen their kiss before pulling away and staring at him admonishingly.

"Tony, it doesn't take 2 people to make the coffee run." She pointed out. Tony groaned but didn't give up. He pulled her in tighter against his chest, spinning her so that she was trapped between him and the wall.

"Well then I guess I'll be grabbing breakfast then." He shrugged, countering her protests. He swooped in and attacked her lips once more, getting high off the feeling. Claire giggled and pulled him in closer, running her fingers across the panes of his chest. A growl rose up in his chest as he pressed himself up against her even more. The action quickly reminded her of the problem at hand.

"Tony, we need to leave now so we aren't late." She insisted, running her fingers up and down his tie. Tony kissed her instead.

"A few minutes won't hurt. Besides I haven't finished my breakfast yet." He teased, once more moving his lips across her jaw and down her neck. Claire hummed in pleasure.

"Alright, it looks like we'll be running into traffic this morning." She sighed dramatically, completely surrendering herself to Tony. The man beamed in glee before scooping her off her feet in a bridal carry and setting her onto the couch, Claire giggling the whole time. Tony reached up to loosen his tie before descending upon her once more.


	55. Chapter 55

**[** From Hiatus 1]

 **...** **...**

 **Claire's POV:**

Walking back into the bullpen I was exhausted, more mentally and emotionally than anything. Ziva was playing ice queen, Abby was hypersensitive so there was no telling if or when she would crack up about Tony and I, McGee was going all shy and timid instead of being Tony's SFA. Then Tony was a whole other problem, acting all stoic and Gibbish. He's not Gibbs and its weird seeing him try to fill those shoes to the letter. Reaching my desk I collapsed with a sigh and ran my hands over my face in attempt to calm my brain. I was praying that nothing else would go wonky today.

"Hey, I have a little problem." A nasally voice broke through the silence. I spoke too soon. Reluctantly I peeked between my fingers to see what Tony did now. I frowned, spotting what I think was McGee's tie up against his face.

"What happened?" I scanned over his face warily. Tony sighed.

"McKlutsy happened." He whined, revealing a mass of red under his nose. My eyes widened as I shot up.

"Did it break?" I asked, instantly reaching up to prod his nose. Tony winced and shied away from my fingers.

"Nah, just busted and sore." He dismissed gently. I grimaced, getting a good look at the mess on his face.

"Want to get out of here….get some coffee….clean my face off." He suggested suddenly. I quirked a brow. It was the middle of the day….and a case. Tony usually didn't wander off like this.

"Okay…..why don't we get you taken care of before we go into any social settings." I suggested, already grabbing my coat so we could leave. Tony nodded in approval and walked beside me, holding the tie back to his face. As we wandered into the elevator I peered closer at the makeshift hankie in his hands.

"Is that McGee's tie?" I asked in confusion. Tony hummed with a devious grin peeking out from underneath the fabric.

"It was the least he could do." He mumbled casually. I grinned, rolling my eyes. Of course, it was.

...

Arriving at one of the cafés nearby I watched Tony quietly out of the corner of my eye. He was standing there stoically, his eyes narrowing every so often as he thought. Again, much like Gibbs tended to do. Reaching the counter Tony smiled charmingly at the girl working behind the register, instantly causing a blush to bloom across her cheeks.

"Two coffees. One with two cream no sugar, and a black." Tony quickly ordered, already knowing what I would usually get. However, it was the second order that caught my attention. I kept quiet as she quickly put in our order and took his money. Walking towards the bar where they would be picked up I finally broke the silence.

"Since when do you drink coffee?" I inquired causally, holding back my true bafflement at this turn of events. Tony scoffed nervously, further proving my thoughts that this was not about his taste preference.

"I drink coffee." He pointed out lamely.

"Sure, very few times a year." I deadpanned. Tony shrugged, still not meeting my eyes as he tried to avoid this conversation.

"What's with the black coffee? You hate it." I continued undeterred.

"So, what's your point. Maybe I changed my mind." I snorted humorlessly.

"Tony, you are one of the most habitual people I know. You don't just 'change your mind.'" Tony pursed his lips and had the decency to smile sheepishly. At this moment, our drinks arrived and we both reached out, smiling thankfully at the barista. Tony quickly made his exit with me darting off after him. He was not getting out of this.

"This new change wouldn't have anything to do with proving something would it?" I probed. At this Tony stopped and turned to face me with a frown.

"I'm not trying to prove anything." He insisted with a pout.

"Ok, let's say that's true. Then what's with all the Gibb habits?" I pointed out, not wanting to push him too much. He jerked his head back thoughtfully.

"Like what?" he asked after a moment. My eyes wandered over him, curiously. Was he really doing this subconsciously?

"Well the disappearing without a heads up, stating lots of open ended questions, Ducky mentioned you walked out of a room posing cryptic questions. Now the black coffee in the middle of the day. Tony that's not like you. It comes across that you're trying to be Gibbs just because you're the new point on this case." I told him honestly. Tony nodded and listened as I voice my concerns.

"I don't know. I guess that's just what I think of to do. Gibbs gets the job done doing all that quirky stuff, and its done well; and now that I'm in charge…..I'm afraid no one will take me seriously. I'm not exactly the prime example of professionalism." He admitted with a shrug, so as not to look too vulnerable in public. I smiled in understanding. Glancing around I gently tugged on his arm and pulled him off to the side of one of the buildings, giving us a bit more privacy.

"Tony, you are a great leader and you are doing just fine. But if you try to be someone you're not then this won't work. Be yourself. You have been working under Gibbs longer than any of us, and he has trained you well. Just do your job and don't worry about everyone else. If they have a problem with how you handle things then they are just going to have to live with it." I assured him softly, reaching up to press my palm to his cheek comfortingly. Tony smiled a little and reached up to hold my hand there, running his thumb across the back of my hand. He nodded quietly.

"Are you ok now?" I asked leaning down to catch his eyes. He smiled, a bit more real than it had been.

"Getting there." He whispered truthfully. But at the moment that's all I wanted to hear. Instinctively I got up on my toes to press a swift kiss to his lips, earning a grin from the man.

"Well that certainly helped." He quipped, much like his usual self. I chuckled in amusement before stepping back a little.

"Alright then, I suggest we get back to work." I pointed out sternly, but still smiling at him. Tony groaned childishly before following me back down the sidewalk. He seemed a bit more relaxed as we made our way back towards the navy yard. Taking a sip of his coffee, he suddenly blanched and coughed in disgust.

"How does he drink this stuff?!" he wailed, staring at the cup as if it had bit him. I laughed outright, unable to contain my amusement. Once I had settled down a bit I simply offered up my own cup. Tony grinned, trading drinks with me. He took a sip of the new cup and twitched his lips, still not loving the taste but able to tolerate it. I grinned, and sipped my own. I didn't enjoy black coffee but it got the job done.

"If anyone asks…..this is black." Tony ordered pointedly. I nodded, just content that he was slowly getting back to his normal demeanor.


	56. Chapter 56

[From: Hiatus 2]

...

 **Tony's POV:**

I trudged up to the familiar house, thankful that all this mess was done for the day. Director Shepherd had given the team…my team…a few days off to sort out this whole change of command. I sent everyone else home early while I stayed behind to do some of the paperwork involved. It was surreal. Sure, I could talk a big game about taking charge but I never imagined Gibbs would actually leave. If anything, I would expect to take command after Gibbs went in a hail of gunfire or something of that nature. After all this turmoil I had going on, I knew I couldn't go home alone. Reaching the door I took out the key and unlocked it, setting my bags and jacket on the rack behind the door. I frowned at the dark house, the only lights coming from the living room. Slowly I walked in to spot Claire curled up on the couch with a sad expression. I took an extra moment to glance around at what was scattered near her and looked at the movie playing. I knew this mood and I was more than happy to ride it out with her.

"You must be pretty despondent over this huh?" I asked. She jerked in alarm, clutching her chest before weakly glowering at me.

"I'm not despondent." She protested with a pout.

"Claire, I know you. Right now you and I both know that you just need a real cry." I softly corrected, making my way over to the couch. She frowned cutely and crossed her arms defiantly.

"I do not need 'a real cry'" she defended. I smirked in amusement. I always did like stubborn women.

"Claire you're in your pj's wrapped in your giant snuggly blanket, you have wine and a tub of ice cream on the table. To top it all off you're watching Titanic, which you always watch when you want to cry but don't want to admit it." I listed off, gesturing to each point as I did. Whenever she would was truly broken over something she would go through this ritual. Snuggling on the couch. Drinking wine so she would loosen up. Ice cream is a standard comfort food. And Titanic. That in itself was very unique to her. She knew the movie made her cry so she would put it on to convince herself that it was the only reason she had cried that night. Claire hated to admit that she got emotional over 'trivial' things. I smiled as she glanced around, realizing that I truly did know her that well. With a sigh, her lip trembled and she looked up at me with that sad face, nearly breaking my heart.

"Fine I'm upset. Care to join me?" she asked hopefully.

"I wouldn't miss it." I assured her before heading to her room to grab some sweats. I'm sure some would say it stroked my manly ego to have her so dependent on me during her times of weakness. I'll admit that its some of it but I genuinely loved being the shoulder she cried on. I was one of the handful of people that have ever seen this side of her and that was a privilege I strived to honor. Once I was dressed I made my way over towards her and situated myself under the blanket. Instantly she shifted so that I was propped against the arm of the couch with her nestled tight against me. I reached to take a sip out of her wine glass before turning my attention to the movie. I wrapped my arms around her, giving her a sense of comfort and protection as she worked through the emotions that would eventually come out. It was the least I could do for her. She had my back all day at work so I was damned determined to be there for her at night when she needed the support. So when she cried over Gibbs, conveniently at the moment Jack lets go, I'll be there for her. And when the morning comes that we have to be back at work, I know she'll be there for me when I need her to be. This whole team leader idea was a lot less daunting knowing I had her in my corner.


	57. Chapter 57

**Still to be determined but...don't hate me...I promise there's a point to all this**

...

Claire eventually made it to her car, despite her blurred vision. This was his decision and if he was so set on it there was nothing she could do. She wouldn't grovel for him, despite what that fact that she wanted to. Turning on her car she sat there listening to the radio. As she listened she smiled humorlessly at how ironic the timing of it was….

...

 _Still gotta walk into a crowded room  
With the radio on  
Crack a smile and crack a beer like it don't bother you  
Like it ain't your song that's on_

 _Still gotta cross the bridge to get to work  
The one by her place  
Make it through the nine to five like you don't hurt  
It goes that way_

...

As Claire drove home, her eyes were drawn to all the places they used to frequent as she did. Her heart hurt to think that they would just be memories here soon. They didn't mean anything significant anymore, just pain. Just a place where she was happy. Another onset of tears came up and she let them run. She had tonight to mourn, tomorrow she could be called in to work and that was no place to be emotional. She didn't care if she looked like a mess tonight. It's not like anyone would see it. Claire knew she had to compose herself and except that fact that it was all over. All those years of progress thrown to the side. She had to be able to continue working with Tony. Maybe there was a good reason for rule 12.

...

 _When someone stops loving you  
It don't make the evening news  
It don't keep the sun from rising, the clock from winding, your heart from beating  
Even when you want it to  
When someone stops loving you_

 _..._

The next morning Tony awoke with a heavy heart. He could admit that he cried….a lot. But no one would know that he did. They hadn't got called in just yet but he couldn't sleep. Not with the emotional turmoil that was going on in his heart. Looking at his nightstand he smiled wistfully. Claire was smiling back at him, her arms wrapped tightly around his torso as he smiled down at her, completely ignoring the camera. Picking it up he frowned, burying back another wave of pain. He had let her go, and it hurt like hell. A ring from his cell caught his attention, looking over the text he frowned even more. Jenny had sent him some details about where Jeanne would be. Another reconnaissance mission for him. Setting the picture down gently he slowly stood to get ready for the day. Opening his closet he grabbed the first decent shirt he could find. Once he took it off the hanger he stared at it sadly. This was Claire's favorite shirt on him. All he could think about was her hands running over it, swiftly undoing the buttons as he kissed her long and hard. Tony's heart clenched again, being reminded of how much he loved her.

...

 _Still gotta button up your collared shirt  
The one she used to button down  
Sleep on the mattress where her body left a curve  
Or maybe just the couch_

 _..._

Claire stretched her back as she sat up on the couch. She had slept there instead of the bed. It was just too big, too empty now. The night before she had tried to sleep but the faint smell of his cologne that lingered sent her into sobs. She had to get some form of sleep if she was going to make it through these next couple weeks.

 _..._

 _Still gotta keep her number in your phone  
In case she calls back  
One night when she's drunk and all alone  
Yeah, you pray for that_

 _..._

As Tony watched from the café window he scrolled through his phone, looking to see if Jenny had called him. As he scrolled through the recent calls his finger froze when it passed a familiar number. He swallowed thickly, staring at Claire's number. He couldn't dial it, he couldn't delete it. It just sat there taunting him, reminding him of how stupid this whole situation was. Damn Jenny. Quickly closing it he glanced up and looked over to where Jeanne was. However, the doctor was now gone and nowhere in sight. Tony sighed. Jenny would be pissed that he lost her but right now he could care less.

 _..._

 _When someone stops loving you  
It don't make the evening news  
It don't keep the sun from rising, the clock from winding, your heart from beating  
Even when you want it to  
When someone stops loving you_

 _..._

Claire took the time she had off to sort through her room. The quicker she cleared out his things, the faster she could get over this. As she did she stumbled across one of his shirts that she loved to sleep in. Picking it up she held it up to toss but couldn't seem to release it. Instead she pulled it tight to her chest and slid down the wall, suddenly out of energy. A tear slipped down her face and she hugged it tight and took in the scent. No matter how much she wanted to forget, she couldn't, she still loved him.

Tony trudged home tiredly. All he wanted to do now was sit down and drink. But first he needed a shower. Turning on the hot water he slipped in blindly and stood there quietly, just letting the water roll down his body. After a few minutes he reached over for his shampoo but picked up the wrong one. He picked up hers. Tony stared at it for a moment before opening it and rubbing it all along his hands. Bringing them to his face he smiled tearfully, taking in the fruity scent that was always clinging to her hair. He sat down in the shower, holding his hands to his nose. He loved that scent. He loved her, and now she wasn't' his.

 _..._

 _The hardest part about it is  
There ain't a switch that you can flip  
'Cause you can't stop loving them_

 _When someone stops loving you  
When someone stops loving you  
It don't keep the sun from rising, the clock from winding, your heart from beating  
Even when you want it to  
When someone stops loving you  
When someone stops loving you  
When someone stops loving you_

 _..._

When Someone Stops Loving You- Little Big Town

 **I know it wasn't produced during that time but I thought the song went along with it.**


	58. Chapter 58

[After Judgement Day]

 **I have about 3 different ideas on this story for further down the road when the whole Jenny/Jeanne thing is over. So this would be when Tony is agent afloat after the team is separated. This is an idea for one of the scenarios when it comes to Tony and Claire. Let me know what you think of it :) Sorry that the first version of this chapter was all messed up.**

 **...**

As they walked in behind Tony, Claire glanced around at the dull work room that Tony had for himself. Seeing Tony once again after all this time was a bit surreal, if not awkward.

"Whoa boss! This is a whole new side of you." Agent Norton whistled behind her. Claire frowned in confusion, whipping around to scold the probie. Her eyes caught sight of where her teammate was staring. On the wall beside the door was a collage of pictures, all of them including her in some way. Claire quietly stepped closer, her eyes flitting across all the pictures. She smiled slightly looking over some specific ones. One of her and Tony back in college, her wearing his hoodie after one of his games, smiling as the duo posed together. Another picture that she distinctly remembered him taking when they were all giggly and probably a bit tipsy. It was the two of them in bed kissing with wide smiles, she was actually laughing against his mouth. Tony had decided to take some impromptu pictures that night to keep on his phone. The blissful and happy looks on their faces caused a lump to form in her throat. Making her way across the various photos she glared. One of the centerpieces of the collage was a picture of her in a bikini, not realizing he was snapping photos. Claire turned towards Tony pointing at the photo accusingly, while he sheepishly avoided her eyes.

"What is this doing here?" she growled, not happy that he had those types of pictures on display for all to see.

"I don't see the problem with it. If I was alone at sea for months I'd bring that picture with me too." Norton gushed, ogling the photo of his boss. He knew she was hot, told her often enough, but this was something else. The other two agents turned to glare at him heatedly.

"You still planning on having kids Norton? Cause I can kill that dream real quick." Claire growled. Norton paled, laughing awkwardly.

"Sorry, it's just a flattering picture." He chuckled, looking back at the photo.

"Shut up Norton." Both Tony and Claire snarled. The man looked between the two, his eyes glittering knowingly. Claire glared in annoyance, now catching on to what he was doing. She glanced over at Tony, not sure how to start things now that this was out in the open.

"Can I talk to you privately." She murmured, nodding back towards the corridor. Tony nodded and passed them, shooting the younger man a venomous glare. Claire sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. This whole thing was a mess.

"That doesn't seem like some innocent fling to me." Norton commented, smiling deviously at his boss. She glared tiredly at him.

"Don't start today." She told him sternly before walking out to talk with Tony.


	59. Chapter 59

[From Faking It]

...

 **3** **rd** **Person POV:**

Tony was scarfing down his breakfast of eggs and toast while reading the paper on his kitchen counter. His head perked up as he heard his door opening but wasn't overly bothered by it when he heard the voice that followed shortly after.

"Tony?" Claire called as he heard the sound of her travel bag hitting the floor. The duo had taken to commuting to work a few times a week so it was no surprise that she had stopped by this early. Tony swallowed a burnt piece of toast with a grimace.

"Kitchen." He answered, taking a swig of his highly sugared coffee to get the taste out of his mouth.

"Tony does this outfit make me look fat? I couldn't decide at home and I knew I had a couple extra pieces here so…" she quickly informed, walking into the kitchen smoothing down her outfit. Tony looked up as she entered and stared at her for a moment. She looked quite the opposite actually. He took in her toned legs that were accentuated in her dark skinny jeans she had paired with some heeled booties. Those paired with her flattering V-neck shirt was quite distracting.

"…no…doesn't look fat at all." He muttered after a few seconds of staring. Claire looked up from where she had been picking a piece of lint off her thigh glared at him suspiciously.

"You hesitated." She accused. Tony's eyes widened in surprise.

"What, no I didn't." he countered. Claire pursed her lips and popped a hip, arms crossed across her chest. He was really in for it now.

"Yes you did so I'll ask you again and be honest. Does it make me look fat?" she inquired. Tony instantly shook his head in denial.

"No, absolutely not. You look great." He assured her. Nodding hesitantly she took his word for it and walked over to rummage through his fridge for some orange juice. Tony watched her intently, as he chewed on another forkful of eggs. His eyes narrowed worriedly. If he was distracted by her more than usual in that outfit then what were other men's reactions going to be? He couldn't have that.

"So…you're really going to wear that to work?" He asked casually. Claire paused, her drink halfway to her mouth.

"What?" She inquired. Tony cleared his throat, turning to face her from across the room.

"Are you really wearing that to work?" he asked again. Claire glowered at him.

"You just said it looked fine. Were you lying to me?" she asked warningly. Tony swallowed nervously.

"I'm not lying to you." He assured.

"So it would be perfectly fine if I wore this to work right? Cause you wouldn't let me walk around in something unflattering, would you?" Clare challenged, staring at him intently.

"Yea, go ahead. You look great." Tony answered with a grin.

"Liar." She countered instantly. Tony sputtered indignantly.

"Wh…I am not lying." He insisted his voice taking a higher pitch.

"So, you really think I look fat in this." she snarled, setting her half empty glass aside. Tony quickly held up his hands to placate her.

"No!" he told her sternly. Claire watched him with a skeptical stare as he slowly approached her as if she was going to strike him at any moment.

"You do not look fat. I promise." He told her seriously. As he reached her Claire's glower lessened and her shoulders relaxed as he ran his hands up and down her arms comfortingly.

"You ready to go to work now?" Tony asked tentatively, trying to distract her from the problem at hand. Claire pursed her lips but didn't answer. He leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. Her lips quirked up minutely before she scowled at him again.

"Please?" he pressed with a small grin. Claire shrugged. Once more Tony leaned in and pressed a longer kiss to her lips, Claire responding just a bit more.

"How about now?" he asked. Claire bit her lip and grinned thoughtfully.

"Not quite yet." She hummed. Taking the hint Tony leaned in and kissed her soundly, swelling with male pride as she hummed in pleasure while returning his affection.

"Fine, we can leave now." She chuckled wrapping her arms around his waist in a hug. Tony laughed at how quickly her mood would shift before letting go of her to clean up the remains of their brief breakfast.


	60. Chapter 60

[Season TBD]

...

After dinner both couples were helping clean up the mess, Tony and Laura chatting as they cleared the table while Devon and Claire were washing up the dishes.

"So you want to start watching some movies, or we could do board games.." Devon suggested aloud for the whole group to decide on.

"I think board games or any games really would be a bad idea for you Devon. You always lose to me." Claire teased with a wicked grin. Devon narrowed his eyes and smirked.

"Oh really? Because I seem to recall that there is one game that I have always won at." He shot back challengingly. Claire paused, the dishtowel limp in her hand as she stared back at him.

"Excuse me, you didn't always win…you always cheated so therefore I am the rightful winner of that game." She corrected sternly. Tony and Laura shared a silent glance, obviously neither having any idea what they were talking about.

"Wanna put that challenge to the test?" Devon inquired. Claire's eyes widened with intrigue.

"You didn't."

"It's all set up in the living room." Devon told her knowingly.

"Well then I hope you're ready to be disappointed big man, because your ass is about to be whooped." Claire declared before taking off towards the living room in determination, Devon following on her heels. Tony and Laura watched them go in confusion.

"Do you have any idea what this is about?" she asked him curiously. After all he had known the siblings for far longer than she had. Tony shook his head.

"I am just as lost as you are on this one." He shrugged before leading the way to follow their significant others. In the living room, a guitar hero was set up along with two stand up mics in front of it. Devon and Claire each stood before them, plastic guitars in hand.

"Are you two serious?" Tony gasped in amusement. The siblings turned to stare at him, shutting him up. They were dead serious apparently. He and Laura quickly made their way over to the couch, eager to see what was about to happen.

"Since I am the reigning champion, I will be courteous and let you choose the song." Devon informed his sister with a grin. Claire scoffed, but was already scanning through the playlist.

"Not the champion and duh I'm choosing the song." She quipped. Tony eyed the 'expert' playlist that she was scrolling through and smiled at her song choice. They siblings grinned in anticipation as the song downloaded. As the beginning guitar riff of 'Rock you like a Hurricane' began, Claire took the lead, pressing the buttons without hardly looking. Obviously this had been a frequent song choice. Tony watched with a pleased grin as she played the toy like it was a real guitar, her fingers flying over the buttons like a real rock star. Soon after Devon joined in, playing the harmony as the drums created a heavy beat for them to jam out to. Tony leaned forward and shifted into a more comfortable position as the sibling's music went back into sync as they played the same notes. Laura leaned backwards just as intrigued as Tony was while she eyed the screen that lit up green as the duo played each note perfectly. As the riff faded Claire slung her guitar off to her side, letting it hang loosely by the strap, and reached up to hold onto the mic as she started the song off. Devon continued keeping the guitar beat as she sang.

 _\It's early morning, the sun comes out_

 _Last night was shaking, and pretty loud_

 _My cat is purring, it scratches my skin_

 _So what is wrong with another sin!_

Tony's eyes lit up as Claire's rasp rang out as she poured into the lyrics. She sounded fantastic, even the game thought so as it lit up with programmed praises as she hit the notes. Claire was no professional singer but it seemed that this type of music agreed with her voice. He loved how it accented the deeper melodic tones she had, along with the slight rasp to her voice. After her verse, she quickly picked up her guitar again, letting Devon take the next verse.

 ** _The bitch is hungry, she needs to tell_**

 ** _So give her inches, and feed her well_**

 _More days to come, new places to go_

 _I've got to leave it's, time for the shooooowwwwww…._

Tony and Laura shared grins, both equally surprised by their S.O.'s singing ability and how well they played this game. For the chorus both siblings displayed their skills as they sang while playing guitar.

 **HERE I AM**

 **ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE**

 **HERE I AM**

 **ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICAAAANNNEEEEE**

"Did you know this about Claire?" Laura asked Tony, all the while her eyes not leaving her fiancé. Tony chuckled, the grin never leaving his face.

"Not at all." He assured her. They fell back into silence as another verse came up.

 _My body is burning, it starts to shout_

 _Desire is coming, it breaks out loud_

 ** _Lust is in cages, till storm breaks lose_**

 ** _Just have to make it, with someone I choose_**

 **THE NIGHT IS CALLING, I HAVE TO GO**

 _The wolf is hungry,_ **HE RUNS THE SHOW**

 _He's licking his lips, he's ready to win_

 ** _ON THE HUNT TONIGHT FOR LOVE AT FIRST STINGGGGG_**

 ** _HERE I AM_**

 ** _ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE (Are you ready babayyy)_**

Tony and Laura snickered at Devon's imitation of falsetto while he filled in the extra parts during the chorus. If it wasn't clear already, it certainly was obvious that the Conners siblings were very into this game as Devon, a big burly dude, had no shame in attempting to hit those high notes.

 ** _HERE I AM_**

 ** _ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRRICAANNNEEEEEE_**

 ** _(Rock you like a hurricannneeeee)_**

 ** _HERE I AM_**

 ** _ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE_**

 ** _HERE I AM_**

 ** _ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE (come on, come on, come on)_**

 ** _HERE I AM_**

 ** _ROCK YOU LIKE A HURICAANNNEE_**

 ** _HERE I AM!_**

Both siblings panted ever so slightly as they finished out the intense guitar riffs as well as landing the last note. Tony and Laura clapped and cheered for them all while laughing at how competitive these two were. Devon and Claire grinned at one another before laughing along with them.

(Rock You Like A Hurricane) – I imagine it as the version from Rock of Ages


End file.
